Trapped!
by Enter the Extinct Age
Summary: PG13 for language...an assortment of characters are marooned on the Hogwarts Express!! love, hate, jealousy? r/r please!
1. Platform 9 and three quarters

**Summary: [Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Ginny, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy and the twins] get marooned in a car of the Hogwarts Express in a freak accident.  Love, hate, senseless pranks?  Read and review please!**

**Disclaimer: you must live in a hole if you don't know that the Harry Potter series is by J.K. Rowling and not me!**

A/N: this is my second fic *dances around throwing confetti* so I try my best!!!  And also, this will NOT be a Harry/Ginny fic, I personally can't quite stand them.  So leave if that's what you want, to be blunt. :-P  Reviews will sway romance interests otherwise, if you like.  Enjoy!

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            Harry grinned when we saw the faces of his two best friends ever, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.  He broke into a run, dragging his trunks and owl on the trolley behind him, smiling like a madman.

            "Harry!" Ron said happily.  "Nice to see you again, mate!"

            "Likewise," Harry said, slowing down.  "Hey Hermione, I-" he stopped.  Hermione had…definitely changed for the better.  Her usually bushy hair was sleek and slightly wavy, her figure trim and curvy.  She saw his expression and laughed.

            "Permanent straightened, Harry," she said giggling, giving him a hug.  "Welcome back."  

            "You too," Harry said grinning, having gotten over the shock.  He looked at Ron and did a double take.  Ron laughed.  "You've changed too!" he said in shock.  And indeed he had.  He had grown at least another five inches, had filled out so that he had broad shoulders and was quite muscled.   *Ron fans faint in delight.  Janitor comes by and sweeps them up. {my own humor, sorry won't happen again!)*

            "What, did you expect me to look like a red headed freckled baboon all my life?" Ron said in mock hurt.  "I'm insulted Harry!"

            "No offense meant Ronnie," Harry said sarcastically, and he crouched just in time out of the range of Ron's wand coming at him savagely.  He ducked behind Hermione and bumped into someone.  "Oh, sorry I didn't mean to-"  The figure cut him off, giggling.

            "Oh do shut up Harry!" Ginny Weasley said, coming out from behind Hermione.  Her hair was now halfway down her back, and she was at least five foot six now.  She too had changed for the better…

            "Sorry," Harry mumbled again, all too aware of his flushing face.  Ginny smiled and walked over to the Hogwarts Express, disappearing inside.  Ron nudged him and Harry nearly fell over with the force.

            "Oops, sorry 'bout that mate, but were you just checking out my baby sister?" Ron asked, grinning.

            "No way!" Harry said quickly.  "Errr…let's get on the train, shall we?"  Hermione and Ron exchanged knowing glances and followed him on. 

            ********

            Draco Malfoy walked onto the platform, wheeling his trolley out, a scowl plastered onto his face.  "Ah, the Hogwarts Express…" he said sarcastically, and received a sharp pinch on the wrist from his mum.  "Ouch Mother!" he said in exasperation.  "You didn't have to come you know, you never did before," he added unnecessarily.  

            "I know that darling, but I decided to come for appearances sake, you know how it is..." Draco snorted.  Damn right he knew how it was.  He had been forced to go to that stupid Yule Ball last year with Prissy Pansy Parkinson because of appearances.  He'd had to bribe the Slytherin team into letting him on when they really weren't accepting new players because of appearances.  He'd hexed countless people because they annoyed him for appearances.  

            "Don't talk to me about keeping up appearances," he said shortly, and then violently ran through the barrier, crashing into something.  He fell to the floor, a little dazed, and his hand immediately went up to check on his hair *A/N: sorry, sorry, couldn't resist!  I love Draco as much as you people do!! Honest!!*.  "Watch where you're going!" he spat angrily, and he got up with all the dignity he could muster.  Draco looked at the offenders and did an inward double take.  

            "Sorry, our bad," one of the twins said, winking, his fake smile showing off his red hair more than ever..  

            "Yeah, won't happen again Sir Malfoy," the other one said smirking.  

            "It'd better not," he said snarling.  They looked at each other and grinned mischievously.  Draco didn't like the look of those identical grins.  

            "We'll see you at Hogwarts then!" they shouted over their shoulders as they walked away to the train, disappearing inside.  

            "Stupid inconsiderate mother fu-Mother!" Draco said in shock.  His mother had appeared, a little disgruntled, behind him.  

            "Silly thing really, that barrier.  They ought to _buy the train station so those clueless Muggles wouldn't goggle at us all the time," she muttered, putting his gloves in her purse.  _

            "Oh just go back Mother," Draco mumbled.  When he saw that she wasn't moving, he sighed and pecked her on the cheek coldly.  "I'm going on the train now.  I'll see you at Easter break maybe."  He picked up his trunk easily with his new more muscular build and walked onto the train, his Mother dabbing her eyes with a hankie for effect.

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            "Crabbe!  Goyle!!  Oh boys!!" came a sing song voice.  The two, who had previously been comparing bicep sizes, turned around stupidly.

            "Uhhhh…..yeah?" Crabbe said thickly.

            "Over here morons," the voice turned impatient and they turned to their right.  Pansy Parkinson, resident slut of Slytherin house, stood there, hands on her curved hips.  They goggled idiotically.  She sighed in frustration and went up to Goyle.

            "Where's Draco?"

            Goyle shrugged.  "Should be on the train right about now," he grunted.  She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

            "Weird that he would get on without telling me…or you guys for that matter.  Aren't you like his henchmen or something?" she said, twirling her wand in one hand.

            The two boulders compared uneasy glances.  "Guess so." Crabbe said shortly.  

            "Just take me to him, all right?" she said exasperated.  She smiled slyly.  "I have a present for him."  Utterly confused, they nodded.  _Could they get any stupider? She thought bitterly, following them onto the Hogwarts Express._

**I know this is short, but I'm working on it!  Next chapter I promise will be longer, and the plot will begin to form!  This was sort of like an introduction really, showing you how the characters are like in my story.  Please press the little blue button to the left and REVIEW it would mean so much to me! Flames welcome, I'm getting chilly…**


	2. Heavely Helpers and Annoyances

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters/settings, etc. Just the plot.  But can I buy Draco?  PLEASE?!?!? No?  Fine.  I'll just write about him then….*evil grin***

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews!  Even 3 reviews is a huge number to me, and I got 7 on my other one (6 taking away my own, LoL) and that means a lot to me.  Thank you all!  Reviewers of this story are: ****casper**** _(thank you for the review dahling!  You've always been there to offer me support, so thank you!) _****SoccerAngel**** _(LoL, I'm glad you liked it, that's cool.  I love Crabbe and Goyle, they're so painfully stupid it's hysterical, so you'll be seeing a lot of dumb C&G in this ficcy) and last but def. not least (as you were my FIRST reviewer, YAY!) _****Slash Junkie _(errmmm…I knid of need my head for this, but I get your point, LoL.  Thanks!)_**

And now, onto Harry Potter goodness…

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            "Ah, this is compartment looks good!" Ron said gleefully, flopping down on a seat and stretching his legs out comfortably.  "Empty, just like we like it, eh?" He grinned and opened a small money bag that was hidden discreetly in his trunk.  It slipped out of his fumbling hands and out spilled a small mound of gleaming Galleons.

            "Ron!" Hermione said disapprovingly.  "Where on _earth did you get all that money?" Ron laughed as he stooped down to pick up the coins._

            "Took a leaf out of Fred and George's book…I invented a sweet you see, for their new shop?"  He ignored the stunned looks on Harry and Hermione's faces.  

            "So they're actually doing it then?" Harry said interested, sitting across from Ron.  

            "You thought they were joking?" Ron raised his eyebrow.  "OK, well you obviously did, but the point is, they weren't, and they're opening it soon.  Matter of fact, with that money you gave them last year, they're buying the Shrieking Shack."  Hermione's jaw dropped.

            "But…how could they….isn't that-"

            "Perfectly legal Herms."  Ron popped a Chocolate Frog in his mouth.   "So anyway, I made this really fab chocolate, I call them 'Heavenly Helpers'."  Harry snorted and Ron threw him an annoyed glance.  "Think it's funny?  OK then, go ahead and try one."  He tossed Harry a dark brown chocolate wrapped in translucent blue paper.  Harry looked at it doubtfully.

            "Errr…"

            "Oh just try it Harry!" Hermione said shrilly, surprising them both to no end.  Harry grinned and popped it in his mouth.  Hermione held her breath while Ron smirked across from them, watching Harry closely. 

            " 's brilliant Ron!"  Harry said through his full mouth.  "In fact, I-" he stopped and gave an almighty belch.  Hermione gasped in surprise and Ron burst out laughing.  "Ron you pig!" Harry said, having swallowed the candy.  Ron chuckled.  

            "Fred and George had their greatest success with them at our Auntie Mildred's wedding.  Old bat must be nearly seventy now," he said, still laughing.  "Put a chocolate by everybody's place setting and before you know it-" he stopped, unable to continue for the tears rolling down his cheeks.  Harry and Hermione glared at him for a second before bursting out into hysterics as well.

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            "Oh look, the train's moving!" Hermione said five minutes later.

            "Brilliant observation Hermione," Ron said sarcastically.  She glared at him and then waved out the window to someone.

            "Who're you waving at?"  Harry asked, eating an Every Flavor Bean.  "Mmm…earwax…"  Ron and Hermione gave him a strange look and he blushed.  

            "Ignoring that comment, it's Viktor, if you really have to know," Hermione said, flushing.  Ron's expression made Harry laugh even more.  He looked positively murderous.  

            "Is there room in here for one more?" came a lilting voice, and their heads turned.  

            "Gin!" Ron said in surprise.  "I thought you were with your friends in that other compartment…" Ginny shrugged, but they could sense her discomfort.  

            "It was full," she said shortly, dumping her stuff near a window and sitting down.  She tucked her leg under her and looked out the window.  _God, I can't wait to get to Hogwarts, she thought.  __Better than sitting here waiting….oh and the Feast, I can't wait to-_

_            "Ginny?" Hermione asked, concerned.  "You ok?"  Ginny started, and then blushed.  The insane amount of red was startling.  _

            "Oh yeah, just you know….thinking about the Feast…" she looked out the window longingly.  Ron laughed.

            "That's our Gin, always on about the food!"  Ginny glared at him and he winked.  "I was just kidding you know!"

            "Lucky you can still do that," Harry said glumly, looking at his shining Prefect badge. 

            "Harry!" Hermione said, sounding perfectly scandalized, clutching her own.  "Being a Prefect is a great honor!  In fact-"

            "Do shut up Hermione," Ron said yawning.  "We've heard it all before.  Besides-"  but he was cut short by the banging open of the train door.

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            "Malfoy," Ron muttered under his breath, reflexively clutching his wand.  

            Draco sneered.  "Not to worry Ronniekins, I'll be out of here soon enough."  Ron snarled.  

            _Stupid nickname!  I told the twins over and over that it would get around!  Damn them, Ron thought bitterly.  _

            "Then get out," Harry said, sitting back down.  

            "Don't think I will, Potter," Draco said offhandedly.  "No, I think I like it here.  Nice car."  He sat down next to Ginny, who looked positively terrified, but didn't move.  Draco glanced at her and stopped.  _Who the hell is this?  A transfer?  I don't remember anyone with red hair being this hot-AAAAAGH red hair!  A Weasley!  Ginny looked at him strangely._

            "Why is your face changing like that Mal-ferret?" Hermione asked, giggling.  Draco shot her a deadly glare.

            "My face can change if it likes," he said simply, and to their horror, opened his trunk and ate a Chocolate Frog.

            "So you really are going to stay," Ron said bleakly.

            "Yes Weasley, I really am going to stay," Draco smirked.  

            "Well, if you're doing it to annoy us, then it's working, Congratulations.  Now leave," Harry said casually.  

            "No."

            "Yes."

            "No."

            "Yes!"

            "N-"

            "Oh just shut up will you?  You're giving me a bloody headache!" Ginny grumbled, turning to the window.  

            _Spunky…I like it.  Whoa! This is a Weasley we're talking about, most definitely one of your arch nemesis' little sister for crying out loud!  Draco reprimanded himself mentally.  _

            "What the hell are you doing Malfoy?" Hermione said, looking at him as though he were in a straightjacket being carted away to St. Mungo's.  

_            "Making your Mudblood life miserable," he said innocently.  Hermione narrowed her eyes and took out her wand.  Harry and Ron did the same, and Ginny sat there looking at Draco with pure hate in her big brown eyes.  "What, going to attack me now?" Draco asked, sneering._

            "Yes," Ron said, without hesitation.  "I'm not a Prefect, I can do what I want to you Malfoy," he added, and Harry and Hermione put their wands down defeated.

            "True," mused Draco.  "But think again Weasley."  Draco opened his robes to reveal a Prefect badge.  They all gasped.  "Surprised?  Not as surprised as I was, I'll tell you that.  Still, never mind…I'm a Prefect, and attacking me will definitely cost Gryffindor precious house points."  Ron snarled and flung himself onto a seat, scowling for all he was worth.

            _Stupid Gryffindors and their house pride…they might not attack ME for fear of losing points, but God knows that I won't hesitate to make them miserable, Draco thought, smirking as always._

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            Ten minutes later, Draco hadn't moved.  All four of the people in the car with him sent him death glares every so often, but for the most part, ignored his existence.  Draco took out _Standard Book of Spells: Grade Five, and opened to a random page.  He began reading on how to make your opponent's hair turn pink when the door slid open again.  Startled, everyone in the car turned.  _

            "Well now, this is the _last place I would have expected you to be, Draco Malfoy," came the feminine voice.  Inwardly, Draco groaned, and he closed the book.   He looked up to see Pansy Parkinson, dressed in tight black Muggle flares and  a red shirt, flanked by his own cronies, Crabbe and Goyle.  They were knitting their thick black eyebrows together in confusion at seeing Draco with the Dream Team and little Ginny Weasley._

            "Yes well, I'm just unpredictable then, aren't I Pansy?" he said boredly, but Pansy's dark eyes brightened at the acknowledgment.  

            "Very sexily mysterious," she purred, and Ron and Harry burst out laughing.  Draco cringed, but remained aloof on the outside.  

            "Whatever Pansy."  He looked over at Ron and Harry, who were still laughing, and Hermione who was looking outraged.  Draco felt his mouth turn into an evil grin.  It was common knowledge throughout Hogwarts that there was a Parkinson/Granger rivalry that was almost as great as the Weasley Potter Granger/Malfoy one.  The last time they got into a fight, both were in the Hospital Wing sprouting Mandrake buds on their faces.  Very unattractive.  _(A/N: So I added that.  Big deal !:-P) "Say, Pansy, why don't you stay here with us?  I'm sure they won't mind," he said, sneering.  Hermione's face went into shock and Ron and Harry sat up, scowling.  Ginny giggled behind her hand, and only Draco caught it.  He almost smiled-__don't do that! He reminded himself sternly._

            Pansy smiled.  "I'd love nothing more Draco," she said in what she hoped was a seductive tone, and she sat next to him.  Crabbe and Goyle wavered near the door, not quite sure what to do.

            "Oh just get in here you dolts!" Draco snapped and they hurried in, pushing past one another to try and be the first one in.  Draco rolled his eyes and opened his book again.

            Hermione groaned and opened her trunk rather violently.  She pulled out _Hogwarts, a History, which was now so frayed and worn that the ends were coming off.  Ron eyed the book.  _

            "Don't tell me you're going to read too!" he said in a moan.  Hermione raised her eyebrow at him and he fell silent.  No one argues with Hermione Granger when she's trying to read.  

            Across the room, Pansy smirked and clutched her wand in hand.  _God knows what that Granger hussy will try, she thought to herself warily.  Behind them all, Crabbe and Goyle looked around for empty seats.  Goyle ran uncoordinated to the end of the carriage and sat in an isolated seat.  Crabbe looked around wildly, and found that the only available seat was next to Hermione.  He grunted, and remained standing._

            "Why don't we just leave?" Ron muttered to Harry.  "This is bloody unbearable!  I don't think I can stand it much longer, being in the same train carriage as Dumb, Dumber and Malfoy and his whore!"  Harry laughed, but remained serious.

            "Look, that's exactly what Malfoy wants.  We're not backing down this time-and since I can't use magic to get the point across, this is it, ok?  Just…bear with me for now."  Ron groaned and leaned back, defeated.  

            And the train ride had only just begun.  

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            "Oof!" Every head turned at the abrupt interruption.  Two figures were sprawled on the floor, grinning apologetically.

            "Fred?  George?  What are you doing here?" Ron asked while helping them up.  They dusted themselves off, almost in perfect coordination with each other.

            "Sorry mate, we were running from Lee's tarantula," Fred said grinning.

            Draco sneered.  "Scared of an ickle spider then, are we?" George looked over and his expression darkened at the sight of a Malfoy.  But he lightened it up soon enough.

            "Not in the least.  But I think you'd run if they hexed it to be radioactive, don't you?" George said, and Ginny giggled again.  She was a very giggly sort, as you may have noticed.  "Besides, that's Ron's area."  After letting this detail slip, he covered his mouth.  "Oops.  Sorry Ron."  Draco looked like he had just won the lottery.

            "Weasley's scared of spiders?" he said gleefully.  "How…touching."  

            "Shut it, Malfoy," Ron muttered, bright red.  Pansy smirked, laughing.  

            "Anyway, we'd best be off then," Fred said (A/N" ha!  Fred said…it rhymes! Err sorry bout that, will continue now!), turning to leave,

            All of a sudden, the train stopped.  Everyone was thrown across the carriage, and they all heard a long scream that was obviously Ginny's, and a "What the fuck?" from Draco.  The lights went out, the doors closed.  Harry leapt up and rattled the knob, trying to get it open.

            No use.  They were locked in there.  

**Author's Notes: ah, now this is where it gets interesting!  I don't know if this can be classified as a cliffhanger, but it's something, anyway.  I tried to make it longer and a little more interesting for all of you, and I hope I did that…review me please, as always, flames are welcomed.  I have a cold, so maybe some fire could help me.  Constructive criticism appreciated, compliments devoured like chocolate! **grins** thank you!**

**~Raven Black~**


	3. Weightlifting Moneybags!

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            "Oh that's just great," came a drawling voice from somewhere in the back (it was too dark to see).  "Just _fantastic Potter!  Now what do you suggest we do?"_

        "How should I know?" snapped Harry.  "Just watch it Malfoy or I swear I'll-"

        "You'll what?" came an annoyed voice.  

        "Hermione?" Harry asked faintly.  "You don't want me to beat the living crap out of this git?"

        "Of course I do!" Hermione said impatiently.  "My point is though, that we won't get out of here by attacking each other Harry and you know it!"  Everyone heard Harry grunt reluctantly in agreement, and suddenly there was a huge bout of laughter from all the Gryffindor occupants.  

        "What the hell?" Pansy's voice asked in annoyance.  

        "S-sorry!" gasped either Fred or George.  "It's just-ha!-he sounded like-"

        "-one of Malfoy's idiots!" finished the other twin, still chuckling.

        Crabbe and Goyle, having landed either side of Pansy, frowned and were about to grunt menacingly before realizing that that was what they were being laughed at for.  Finding no other option, they sat in silence.  

        "Will you all kindly shut up and spare me the migraine?" Draco asked, snarling.  No one bothered to listen to him.  _Well this is new, he thought to himself.  "__Lumos."  The tip of his wand lit up to reveal the occupants of the train carriage.  Draco scanned his company and quickly decided that the situation was hopelessly impossible.  He was stuck in a pitch black Hogwarts Express train carriage with basically the annoyances of his school life.  He scowled and sat down quickly, causing an 'oof!' to come from underneath him._

        He looked down sharply.  "Ah, umm…" his ear tips turned pink, not unlike the Weasleys are known to do when embaressed.  A red headed girl looked up at him, frowning.

        "Kindly get your fat arse off of me Malfoy!" she said, fighting a smile.  _Wow, he's cute when he's embarrassed…but not as cute as Harry of course, added Ginny in her thoughts hastily._

        Ron looked over and stopped laughing immediately.  "Get the hell off of my sister Malfoy!" he said, scrambling to get up.  "If you've hurt her I'll-"

        "_Ron!" Hermione grabbed him by the robes and pulled him down. "I think Ginny's got the situation under control!  Calm the hell down already!"  Ron snarled and wrenched Hermione's hands off of him.  Draco slid off of Ginny, smirking.  Pansy's face looked livid, so Draco scooted over to her to stop her from hexing anyone._

        "So what do we do?" Harry asked to everyone.  Silence.  

        "PARTY!!!!!!" came the twin's voices, delighted with the new opportunity.  Everyone turned to look at them, lighting up their wand tips. 

        "What?" Fred asked, smirking because he was perfectly aware that no one knew which one he was.  "It's a perfect chance!  The whole train's shut down, the trolley's probably just in the next carriage and no one can stop us!"

        "One problem Weasley," Pansy snapped, straightening out her shirt.  "Look out the carriage window, will you?"  Fred and George frowned and looked out the window.  

        "What about it?" George asked, looking at the very boring grass knoll outside.

        "_There's no other carriage here," Pansy hissed.  "We've broken off the rest of the train!"  The statement sank in and the thoughts buzzed around the occupant's heads like bees in a hive._

        '_Oh good Lord, I'm stuck in a carriage with the Dream Team for God knows how long!  I'll lose my mind!'  Draco thought wildly._

        '_So the party's a bust, but I'm sure Malfoy and his cronies could use with a Heavenly Helper or two,' Fred and George thought simultaneously.  _

        '_God forgive me if I kill Malfoy by the end of this,' thought Ron darkly._

        '_Great, just great, now Voldemort might come and finish me off,' Harry thought, frowning._

        '_Hey this isn't so bad-I'm stuck in a carriage with Dr-Harry! Harry Potter!' Ginny thought, confusing herself.  _

        _Oh no, what if we miss school!  Maybe I can work ahead in the book in here', thought Hermione in a panic._

        '_Hey, maybe Draco will rescue me or something…like a damsel in distress or some shit…maybe this is my chance!' Thought Pansy, losing all reason._

        _'_______ ,' thought Crabbe and Goyle._

            There was an awkward silence as everyone weighed the situation.  Finally, Pansy broke the silence with a high pitched wail.  "Oh _Draco!  What are we going to do?!?" She clung onto his arm, sobbing.  Furious, he threw her arm off._

        "Will you please stop?" Draco asked calmly, ignoring the strange looks he was getting.  "I'm not too fond of your crying, to be perfectly honest."  Across the carriage, Hermione giggled, and Pansy sat up glaring at her dangerously.

        "Watch it Granger," she said under her breath.  Hermione smiled sweetly.

        "Always Pansy my dear," she replied, making Pansy angrier than ever before.

        "Right, that's it!" she screeched, standing up.  "I'm going to curse your Mudblood ass to h-" Draco clamped a hand around her heavily lipsticked mouth.  

        "Pansy, I'm warning you, this won't make anything any easier," Draco whispered in her ear.  Wide eyed, she nodded and he let go disgustedly.  "Ew, what is this crap?" he said, pointing to the red smudge on his hand.

        "Honestly, whale blubber," Ginny said, "but we like to call it lipstick."  Draco turned to look at her and then looked at his hand again.

        "Ugh," he said, wiping it on a seat.  Ron burst out laughing.  "What Weasley?" Draco asked, snarling.

        "Well, I would've thought that with your _glorious reputation, you would've been used to having lipstick on you before Mal-ferret," Ron said, clutching his side.  __Getting him annoyed is almost getting too easy, Ron though happily.  To his utter delight, Draco scowled darkly and sat down, far away from anyone.  The next part, however, was not fun to listen to._

        "My love life is far from your business Weasel, unless you want to be a part of it.  In that case, I will tell you firmly right now that I'm not interested in you that way, or any way.  Quite honestly, I think you are a colossal waste of space," Draco said spitefully, causing Ron to open and close his mouth in utter shock and anger.  Despite himself, Harry started laughing.

        "Harry!" Ron said, getting quite pissed now.

        "Sorry Ron, won't happen again," Harry said, shutting up.  

        Hermione got up and walked to the compartment door.  She ran her hands over it, muttering to herself and tapping her wand against it.  Everyone looked at her curiously, right until she collapsed on a seat hopelessly frustrated.

        "This is bloody impossible!" she cried, throwing up her hands.  Draco smirked.

        "So teacher's pet Mudblood Granger can't use her marks in the real world-shame really," he said.  Ron's face darkened and he lunged at Draco.

        "Don't call her that you bastard!" he yelled, punching Draco in the jaw.  Everyone watched rather interested as they fought bitterly, punching and kicking each other.  Unfortunately, Hermione soon came to her senses and wrenched Ron off of Draco.

        "Come on Ron, he's not worth it," she muttered as Ron breathed heavily standing next to her.  He had a black eye and his hair was everywhere.  Draco had two great slashes going across his cheek, and both were glaring at each other with equally matched hatred dancing in their eyes.  There was a very tense silence.  

        Draco looked to his right and saw Ginny, pale and horrified, looking at her brother like he had just sprouted horns.  Draco grinned and sat down comfortably.  He looked around and met the surprised stares of everyone.  "What are you idiots gaping at?" he said smirking.

        "Just not used to seeing the dark scum of the earth smile, that's all," Harry said, still looking at Draco curiously.  Draco cursed silently.  _Did I really smile?  Stupid stupid stupid stupid…_

_        "I didn't __smile, Potter," he said, scowling.  _

        "Yes you did."     

        "No I-look, I don't feel like getting a verbal lashing as well as a physical one from your freckled sidekick, so I'm just going to stop this right here," Draco said snidely.  

        "So!" Everyone turned to look at Pansy in surprise.  "What should we do?  I mean, we can't get out, so we might as well do something to make the time pass by quicker, you know?"  Grudgingly, everyone admitted she was right and started racking their brains to think of something to do.

        "Do you guys want to play that American game, what's it called, BS?" Fred or George asked slyly.  Everyone turned to look at him.  Of course they knew it, it was the most popular card game at Hogwarts now.  The evil plots began to form in everyone's mind.

        "I'm game," Harry said, drawing out a small red moneybag.  "That is, if everyone else is," he added.

        "I'm not too bad at card games myself, so deal me in," Draco replied, rifling through his robes for his own money.  Ron extracted his money from the same bag Harry and Hermione had seen earlier, and Fred and George were already scrambling for their profits from the summer.  Ginny and Hermione looked at each other hesitatingly and then sighing, brought out their own money.  Ginny counted it silently.  

        _OK, five Galleons isn't going to cut it.  This is hopeless, I knew I should've helped Ron with those chocolate things! She thought miserably.  "Count me out, I'll just watch."  Her brothers looked up at her with surprise.  Ginny Weasley was a devastatingly good card player, especially at poker.  Ginny saw their faces and shrugged in reply.  __They all have so much money, I'd feel so stupid, especially next to Malfoy.  I bet his robes are made of money.  _

_        "Whatever you want Gin," Ron said, raising his red eyebrow.  She ignored him, so Ron turned to Hermione.  "Herms?"_

        "Yeah, I'm in," she said quietly.  He laughed.

        "You know how to play poker?" he asked curiously.  

        "I pick things up," she said, shrugging and counting out money in her palm.  Pansy looked up and saw Draco counting out his money too, and she shoved her hand in her pockets.  A small silver moneybag came out.  She smiled.

        "I'm in," she said loudly, shoving herself in between Draco and Harry.  They both looked at her with the same expression; extreme disgust.  She ignored them and tapped her fingernails on the wood floor, sighing with impatience.  Across the carriage, Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other and then grunted.  Boulders have no use for poker, and neither did they.  Crabbe picked up his moneybag and proceeded to use it like a dumbbell; it certainly was heavy enough.  Goyle saw his new invention and happily picked up his own moneybag and did the same.  They sat in the corner joyfully picking up their moneybags for the rest of the game.

        Ginny sighed and rested her head on her arms as she watched them play on the floor of the train car.  She skimmed her eyes over the tops of their heads.  Hermione's newly straightened hair, absently resting on Ron.  Ginny smiled; when would they just admit it already?  Ron was looking at his cards with that expression that Ginny knew all too well, the Weasley Fake.  It was supposed to be blank, but by looking in his eyes you could tell he had a great hand this game.  _People's eyes give them away every time she thought to herself, grinning.  She looked at Pansy, and saw her looking up through her hair at Draco, who was scowling at his hand.  __She really does like him I guess, Ginny thought, looking at the older girl with a little more liking.  Harry was pushing his glasses up his nose and waiting for everyone else to be finished looking at their cards so that he could lay down the first card; he was dealer of course.  __He does seem to always be pushed into leading things, doesn't he? She thought curiously looking at him.  He looked up at her suddenly, and she flushed.  He grinned and looked back at his cards.  Fred and George were having difficulty hiding their glee at the cards they had been dealt.  __Lucky beasts, Ginny thought fondly, __they get all the goods in our family. _

        They played silently.  It was the weirdest card game Ginny had ever seen.  All of her card memories were filled with baking and laughing and winning and smiling and this was…this was a death match!  She watched from behind and watch Draco select a king and an eight on the pile, face down like you do in BS.

        "Two kings."  Ginny almost laughed at loud, but that would give him away for sure.  Ron looked at Draco searchingly and then nodded.  He believed him!  Draco leaned back, smirking and hit someone's leg.  

        He looked behind him and looked up into the innocently gorgeous face of Virginia Louise Weasley.  He didn't know this of course; this was Ron Weasley's little sister, who no doubt had all the qualities he hated from her brother.  "Kindly get rid of your leg Weasley," he drawled.  Ginny grinned, and Draco was taken aback.  Grinning at him?  _No scowl?  No look of hatred?  No I-Hate-Draco-Malfoy look in her eyes?_

_        "No."  Draco stared.  _

        "I must have misheard you Weasel, did you just say no?"

        "I did and I'll say it again: No."  Ginny looked with satisfaction at the growing alarm on the older boy's face.  "What, scared?  You should be-you just cheated in your card game and Ron hates cheaters."  Ron snapped to attention at hearing that Draco cheated.

        "Ugh, should've known!  Why didn't I say anything, you could've had twenty more cards added to your hand!" Ron groaned, putting his head in his hands.  Draco smirked.

        "Don't worry about it Weasley, us Malfoys are incredibly cunning when we need to be; it wouldn't be the first time I've gotten away with anything," he added maliciously.  Ron ignored him.  _What is the world coming to, Draco thought wildly, __where Weasleys aren't even angered by my insults?  I need to lie down!_

_        Pansy looked up at him, her eyes shining.  "Sly and quick, like a snake then Draco?" she asked eagerly.  Draco looked at her._

        "If that was supposed to be intelligent, it came out wrong," was his answer.  Pansy's face feel briefly, but then she just turned away, blinking her eyes rapidly.  Harry looked at her and, startled, noticed the tears that threatened to brim over her long lashes.  He almost found himself being sympathetic.  _Good God Potter you've lost it now, he thought, sighing and running his hands through his messy hair.  He triumphantly pulled out four cards._

        "Four aces!"  Hermione snorted.

        "No way.  Bull shit!"  Harry laughed and lifted the four cards.  Four aces blinked up at her and Hermione looked at them in shock.  "guess the pile's mine then, eh?" she said weakly, picking up the large pile.  Ron goggled at all the cards.

        "If you want 'Mione, I'll take some," he offered kindly.  She looked at him sharply, but nodded her head gratefully.  He took half of the cards and sorted them in her hands.  

        "Oh, are we witnessing a _moment then?" Draco sneered.  "How touching."  Ron flushed the shade of a tomato and Hermione blushed deeply.  Harry glared at Draco and Ginny decided that a swift kick in the ass was in order.  "Ow!  What the hell?"  Draco whirled around the find Ginny laughing.  "You-"_

        "Too tempting!" Ginny gasped.  

        Draco muttered some curses under his breath and flicked his wand.  Ginny shrieked.  

        "My hair!  What the hell have you done to it Malfoy?!?" she yelled, scrambling for a mirror.  Lost for words from laughing, Pansy handed her her compact.  Ginny's scream shocked Crabbe and Goyle from their weightlifting in the corner even.  "IT'S THE BLOODY UNION JACK!!!!" Draco congratulated himself silently.

        "My, you are ungrateful.  That was a tricky curse to perform you know," Draco said lazily, turning around to admire his handiwork.  Ginny's red mane was now an exact replica of the British flag, the red cross on the top of her head.  Ron snarled and was about to jump on Draco when the strangest sound came from Ginny.  Laughter.

        "Dammit Ginny, why are you laughing?" Fred asked, still furious at Draco for turning his little sister's trademark hair into a flag.  

        "I laugh at things that are funny Fred!" she said, giggling.  Draco looked at her oddly, and then smiled.  No one saw but Ginny, and she shut up really fast.  

        "Why'd you stop?" Harry asked, confused.  

        Draco turned around, plastering on his Malfoy smirk.  What was he _thinking letting a little Weasel make him smile like that?  Ginny looked at the back of his head, puzzled. _

        "Err…a fly flew in my mouth," she said, pretending to spit it out.  Fred and George looked at each other, and then smiled their Twin Grin.  

        "Flying chocolate!" they yelled in delight.

        "Here we go…" Hermione said, rubbing her temples as the twins chattered excitedly about their newest invention to be.  In the corner, Crabbe saw a cockroach scuttling on the floor and squashed it with his huge bear-like hand.  Goyle grunted in approval, and they soon set about squashing the bugs that were now steadily streaming into the carriage through the crack in the floor...

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A/N: thank you all for reviewing for me!!!  Shoutouts to **Reania****, Dani L. Servo, Aaren, Jedi Tess of Gryffindor, Lee Velviet, ****casper****, and The Dark Faerie.  I'd write individual thanks, but I don't have any time so….yeah.**

For my other story, the Seven Deadly Sins, I'm writing the next chapter.  Sorry if I'm making anyone wait!!

~Raven Black~


	4. Hermione Takes Charge

HOORAY FOR NO WRITER'S BLOCK!!!!!

Ah ok, now it's time for thank you's:

**Casper****: hey jenn! Thank you sooooo much for reviewing this story, I love yours too.  I can't wait for you to come back hurry home!**

**Dark Moon: LoL, don't worry I hate those as well as much as fluff stories sometimes are appealing…no, there will be no stupid love triangle type thing here.  You have to remember as well that they're in a train carriage in plain view of everyone…**

**DClick****: **blushes** Wow, thanks!!!  Personally I hate H/Hr *sucks rotten tomatoes* I dunno what it is about them...but cheers!**

**Destiny: yeah the whole cockroach thing kind of grossed me out too, but it's pivotal for this chapter *clamps hand over mouth* did I just say that?**

**Serendipity: yay I made someone laugh! *beams* oh, and I love love love your pen name!**

**Jedi Tess of Gryffindor: you reviewed! *bows down* thank you thank you thank you!!! I love your stories and am so glad you like mine! Please tell Lee that I hope she recovers really quickly!**

And now onto the story…I'm sorry it's so short though *frowns* I promise the next one will be longer!

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        "Will you stop that?" Draco said irritated as everyone looked over to see what the squelching noise was.  Crabbe looked up.

        "Ungh."

        Ron rolled his eyes.  "Honestly, I think I'm going to lose it if I have to be cooped up with them any longer," he said moaning.  Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement as Crabbe and Goyle looked on in stupefied silence.  

        "Where are all of those bugs coming from anyway?" Ginny's small voice piped up.  Everyone turned to look at her, and then at the stream of bugs that Crabbe and Goyle were deliriously stopping.  There was a pause before Fred commented.

        "Ah, but we're in the _country dearest sister of mine," he said wisely.  "And you know what that means…" Ginny shook her head._

        "Oh come off it Gin, don't you remember falling in that anthill at Granny's country barn?" George snorted.  Ginny blushed and Draco looked on in amusement.

        "Little Weasley fell in an anthill?  Poor thing," he added sarcastically.  Ginny scowled.  

        "No one asked for your opinion Ferret Face," Ron replied scathingly.

        "Since when have I asked permission to express my opinion?" Draco commented dryly, throwing two cards on the pile.  "Two threes."

        "No way!" 

        Draco smirked. "Actually, I did have two threes, see-"

        "No you dumbass!" came Pansy's voice.  Everyone gaped to see her telling her idol off, even Draco.  

        "Excuse me?" he said, getting up and looking down at her menacingly.  

        "This isn't the time for stupid arguments Draco," she said, absently grabbing onto Harry's arm in fright.  He frowned but didn't try to shake her off. _She's terrified, he thought to himself.  _

        "And why not?" he asked, tapping his foot annoyingly.  

        "Do you not _see the hoards of bugs coming in?  Hasn't you father taught you anything?  It's an Insectiarium Spell and it won't stop unless we try to." She gulped nervously and her painted nails dug deep into Harry's arm.  He winced in pain.  _

        "Why do we care?" Fred asked reasonably.  "As long as we've got them two over there, why should it matter?"

        "Because," Pansy said shrilly, "Insects under that spell have some sort of...venomous thing going on!"

        "She's right you know," Hermione said frowning.  "This could be dangerous."  Everyone in the car exchanged uneasy glances, and even Draco looked a little wary.  

        "So what do we do?" Ginny asked softly.  Draco turned around at the sound of her voice.  

        "Ask Granger," he said shrugging, sitting down on the floor again.  

        "She wasn't asking you," Harry said shortly, looking over at Ginny with concern.  When he looked away, Ginny rolled her eyes dramatically.  But only after he looked away.  

        "Well, as it seems everyone's depending on _me to come up with some sort of answer, I guess I'd better rack my brains then," Hermione said sighing, getting out her books.  _

        "Oh honestly Granger, if you had any real sense you wouldn't be taking out textbooks!" Draco snarled.  "We need to take action, now!"

        "I suppose you have a better idea then?" Hermione asked dangerously soft, raising her eyebrow.  Draco smirked.

        "As a matter of fact I do."

        "Oh?" Hermione stared curiously, closing _'Beastly Insects and their Magical Attributes' by "Ant" Anthony Red shut.  _

        "Yes.  The Impediment Jinx for now, we can toss them out the window as they come," he said shrugging and taking out his wand.  

        "That's not a very good long term solution," Hermione said frowning.  

        "Maybe not," Draco agreed, shocking everyone, "but it's a solution nonetheless.  

        "True.  All right," Hermione started, turning to everyone.  She seemed to be the silently elected leader of this operation.  "Fred and George, go over there and started stupefying them, it's the only thing we can do at the moment."  Fred and George nodded and went over to the corner where the bugs were coming in.  Crabbe and Goyle grunted in protest but George just pushed him out of the way.

        "Move over you great lump or make yourself useful!"

        Ginny giggled.  "Oh George, you sounded like Mum there!"  Meanwhile, everyone was making a mental note that George was the twin wearing green, Fred the one wearing red.  

        George flushed.  "If I ever hear you saying that-"

        "George!"

        "So sorry Herms...okay, let's do this Freddie boy, shall we?" 

        "Righto."  They took out their wands and started setting little jets of silver light at the bugs, stopping them in mid-scuttle.  Hermione smiled.  

        "Good.  Now, let's see…Ron, you help me find some information on this spell."

        Ron groaned.  "Do I have to?" Hermione looked down at him.

        "Yes.  Lord knows what you'll do by accident with that wand," she replied sternly.  Ron flushed; the previous summer he had snapped it while thwacking it on the table when he couldn't Summon his brush to the breakfast table.  

        "That was purely accidental!" he argued.

        "You're not supposed to be using your wand during the summer hols anyway!" she said, and the matter was closed.  Ron threw down his cards and flicked open a book in quiet resignation.  Draco sniggered, but was soon shut up when Hermione started talking next.

        "Malfoy, maybe you'd just better leave this to us.  Wouldn't want to get your hair mussed up, would you?" Hermione grinned mischievously as Draco stood up furiously.  

        "I don't _care if my bloody hair gets messed up! See!" He furiously ran his hands through his hair, leaving his hands a sticky mess.  He impatiently got rid of the gel on his hands and turned to face them all.  Hermione, Ginny and Pansy took in a sharp breath of happy surprise which caused all the other male occupants to scowl and Draco to smirk.  "There.  Now can you give me a real job __Mother? "Hermione was jerked out of her trance and promptly fixed the scowl back on her face._

        "Fine.  You can…wait until we find something for you to do," she finished lamely, turning to Ginny.

        "Okay Ginny, you're quite good with Charms," Ginny beamed proudly, "so can you think of anything that might stop them? Or maybe get rid of them?" Ginny's face turned thoughtful.

        "I suppose…I'll think 'Mione," she said, grinning.  

        "Good.  Pansy," she said grimacing at using the girl's first name.  Pansy looked up and smirked.

        "Granger?"

        "As much as I really don't want to say this, you're one of the best out of all of us at Transfiguration, so think of an appropriate spell please?" Hermione turned her back on the now broadly smirking Slytherin girl and fixed her gaze on Harry.  "Okay Harry, I need you to do something really important-"

        "Why couldn't I have done that?" Draco demanded stubbornly.

        "Because I loathe you," Hermione answered simply. Draco looked like he was about to laugh, but he controlled himself.  

        "Quite true.  Carry on then," he said, sitting in between Ginny and Pansy on the side seats.  

        "I need you to go outside the car and see where they're coming from," she finished.  Harry blanched.

        "Oh come off it Hermione, I can't go out there!" 

        "Oh, ickle Potter afraid of little bugs?" Draco taunted, stretching out comfortably.  Ginny tried her very hardest not to take her eyes off of the book page she was scanning.  

        "You wish Malfoy," Harry hissed.  Draco got up abruptly.  

        "I want to go out there too," he said bluntly, stepping in front of Hermione.  She blinked.

        "What? But-"

        "I'm not going to let a Mudblood like you try to stop me. I'm going out there and that's final.  Otherwise, I'm about as useful as Crabbe and Goyle over there." He nodded, and as much as Hermione hated to admit it he was right.

        "I'll let the Mudblood comment slide this time Malfoy.  But if you try to do anything to Harry I swear that we'll all-" she was interrupted.

        "-maim me horribly and feed the pieces to Fang. I know." He leaned against the wall scowling.  "I want to do something dammit! I'm bloody bored with you all."  His eyes fell on the intently studying Ginny Weasley and he thought _Well__, maybe not with her…haven't figured her out yet.  _

        Hermione sighed.  "OK, fine.  Harry, do you think you two can be on civil terms for a few minutes?"

        "I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything for him," Harry replied, glaring at Draco.  He shrugged, bored.

        "Cut the crap Potter, let's go."  Harry went over to the train door and opened it cautiously.  The still and drab countryside of England met their eyes.  Draco snorted.  "This is ridiculous.  Come on let's get this over with; how bad can it be?"

        "Right," Harry replied, hoping to God he sounded brave.  He didn't.

        Draco sniggered.  "I reckon we'd better hurry up before Potty wets his pants!"

        "Shut it Malfoy," Harry muttered, starting to round the corner to where the insects were coming from.  Both now had their wands out, at the ready.  Draco was still sniggering when they abruptly turned the corner and stood deathly still in horrified fascination at the scene in front of them.

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        Bugs.  Everywhere.  Crawling on each other's backs, scrambling to get up in the tiny hole they had gnawed through the car's underside, scuttling around like crazed fans at a concert.  Draco gulped as he saw a cockroach scoop up ten ants in it's claws and devour them greedily.  He looked at Harry who was wearing practically an identical mask of disgust.

        "Brilliant! So now what do we do Potter?" Draco asked faintly.  Harry shook his head, keeping his wand steadily in front of him.

        "To be brutally honest, I don't know." Harry let his eyes rove all over the humungous pile of insects in front of him.  When Draco spoke, he jumped in surprise.

        "Well, there's nothing else for it.  I don't suppose I'll get any Azkaban time for this, they _are poisonous insects after all," Draco drawled lazily.  He flung out his wand and hissed, __"Avada Kedavra" before Harry could stop him.  _

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*ducks flying fruit* PLEASE DON'T HURT MEEEE!!!!! I promise to update as soon as I possibly can.  In the meantime, chapter five of Seven Deadly Sins is underway, I was struck with the strong urge to write today, aren't you all lucky? J


	5. Pansy and Harry Rolled Down the Hill

**Disclaimer: I do not, in any way shape or form, own any character in the Harry Potter series.  If I did, do you really think I'd be writing for a fan fiction website when I could be in Bermuda getting a lavish tan? No my friends, a tan in any circumstance is my first choice.  **

**Author's Notes: Again, sorry about the delay of the chapter.  However, I actually have an excuse this time! *grins proudly* You see, my parents took away my Internet so there was no way I could get all you lovely people the chapter any sooner. I'll try not to let that happen again. BUT, I made this one extra, extra long so you can't complain! =P**

        Because my Internet is at the moment GONE *sniff*, I can't individually thank the reviewers.  It sucks, but I promise beyond all promises I will do it next chapter. Cheers!

~Raven Black~

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(last chapter)__

_        "Well, there's nothing else for it.  I don't suppose I'll get any Azkaban time for this, they are poisonous insects after all," Draco drawled lazily.  He flung out his wand and hissed, "Avada Kedavra" before Harry could stop him. _

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        There came a huge BANG from outside the train car and everyone inside stopped what they were doing abruptly.  Hermione's book fell off of her lap with a thud as Ginny got up slowly and looked out the window.  

        "Can you see anything Gin?" Fred asked, looking a little shaken.  Ginny squinted, getting up on the velvet side seats and then shrugged, sliding back down to sit on them.  

        "No…they must have gone around the car, I can't see anything from here."  

        "Well, I think we don't have to worry about stopping the insects anymore," Pansy said smugly, crossing her legs.  "Sounds like Draco's got the situation under control."  Almost instantaneously, the Gryffindors in the compartment rolled their eyes.

        "Honestly Parkinson, do you really believe Malfoy's that special?" Hermione replied sarcastically.  "Because I can certainly see where you're getting that from…so unbelievingly intelligent, and such a good, kind person too to boot…my, what fine taste you have."  Hermione suppressed her laughter and sat next to Ginny, who was close to giggling as well.  Pansy's dark eyes narrowed, her pug like features showing now more than ever in her evident anger.  

        "And I suppose you have much better than me Granger?  Why don't you just give it up with that Bulgarian freak and run into Weasley's overly and very unattractive freckled arms like we've all been waiting for you to do?" She smirked widely as both Hermione and Ron's faces turned a deep shade of maroon.

        "Viktor is a perfect _gentleman Parkinson, a perfect gentleman, and you accusing me of-of thoughts that __never once ran through my mind is outrageous!" Hermione said bristling.  Ginny, meanwhile, was biting her lip hard to stop from laughing.  __Oh just give it up Hermione, she's right on this one, Ginny thought.  _

        "In other words Parkinson, shut your gob before I make you!" Ron snarled, his wand out and at the ready.  Pansy shrugged, still smirking.  She knew she had won this battle.

        Crabbe and Goyle grunted at the same time with utter surprise.  The steady flow of bugs had stopped.  Fred and George were looking at the gap warily too.

        "Its stopped Hermione, can we sit down now?" George asked pleadingly, flexing his hand as it was in utter pain from all of the jinxing.  He cowered under Hermione's stern gaze.

        "Not until they come back in here to report what that bang was!  Stay there."  Grumbling, Fred and George sat near the gap, wands out just in case.

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        As soon as Draco had uttered the words, a jet of light had come out of his wand tip.  It formed a large dome over the bugs and with a flash the dome folded in on itself, with a huge BANG.  Harry's jaw dropped as the green light vanished to reveal thousands of dead bugs in a large heap (A/N IRL: *heap*).  

        "What in the bloody blazes are you doing Malfoy?" Harry said in disbelief as Draco nonchalantly put his wand back in his pocket and turned to walk back into the carriage. 

        "Getting rid of our big problem," he said casually.  

        "Do you _realize how much trouble you could be in if a teacher found out?" Harry hissed, not sounding unlike Hermione in her worst state of panic.   Draco smirked._

        "Now look Potter, we're out here in the middle of NOWHERE, not likely to be found anytime soon, and we had poisonous bugs crawling in very fast.  I _don't think that you could have done any better, so why don't you just shut up a minute and let someone else take the glory for once?"  Draco waited for a response, but Harry was completely lost for words. This made Draco's smirk broaden as he walked off to the train carriage door and flung it open, silently congratulating himself for making his enemy go speechless.  _

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        There was a shocked silence s everyone turned to see Draco leaning against the doorframe, looking very pleased with himself indeed.  Crabbe and Goyle didn't look up at all, as they were still scratching their heads over the bugs stopping, but the rest were giving him a what-happened-out-there look.  Ginny in particular was curious as to why Harry wasn't there.  

        Pansy's anguished yell made everyone jump in surprise, and Draco nearly fell out of his casual position against the doorframe as she flung herself upon him.

        "DRACO!!! Oh my God, are you all right?  Did they bite you??" She howled and Draco looked down from his 6 foot frame at her in utter disgust.  

        "Good Lord woman will you never get the bloody hint?" he said in complete exasperation, throwing her off.  She squealed in surprise, getting thrown out of the car and into an unsuspecting Harry.  The occupants watched in interest as Pansy went flying into him and they were both catapulted onto the grassy ground.  Unable to contain himself any longer, Draco burst out laughing, and sat on a seat wiping his eyes.  Hermione and Ron had gotten up very quickly to go see if Harry was ok, but Ginny, George and Fred had burst out into hysterics as well against their own wishes.  Crabbe and Goyle sat up, blinking.  

        "Ginny!" Ron said sharply, turning to face his giggling sister.  "It's not funny!"  She clamped her mouth shut and Draco frowned, finally stopping his chuckles.

        "It's not up for you to decide what her humor is you know," he commented dryly, turning his gray gaze onto Ron.  Ron glared at him.

        "She's _my sister Malfoy, not yours thank God."  He glared at Ginny too, who bit her lip and turned to look out the window uncomfortably.  Draco's frown deepened, but he shook himself and forced himself to look out at the now hysterical Pansy.  _

        "Get _off me you filthy Gryff!" came Pansy's shrill voice.  Fred and George howled with laughter when they saw her beating him with her fists and him trying desperately to get away._

        "Well excuse me, but I'm not on the top here am I!" Harry's deep voice countered.  Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to stop from giggling, and even Ron momentarily wished that he had a camera to capture the moment.  Finally, Pansy rolled off of Harry, very disgruntled, and trudged back up the hill and into the carriage, not daring to look at anyone.  Harry came up, trying to wipe the grass stains off of his shirt and rolled his eyes at Ron.  

        Ginny turned from the window to look at Harry and Pansy and a smile played about her lips as she saw their expressions.  Pansy was looking murderous, Harry annoyed.  

        Suddenly there was a screeching at the door as an owl tapped on the windows with its talons.  Draco quickly strode over and opened the door, holding out his arm for the owl to come and perch on.  The owl did so, nipping his ear sharply before flying back off leaving Draco with a roll of parchment in his hand.  Everyone watched curiously as he opened it and scanned it quickly with his eyes.  

        "Right!" he said abruptly, causing everyone to jump.  "The other carriages have arrived at Hogwarts and Dumbledore is trying to figure out a way to get us back.  Until then, he…" here Draco's lip curled in annoyance, "…wants us to get along and get to know each other."       

        "WHAT?!?" Ron exploded suddenly, grabbing the parchment from Draco's hands.  His now furious blue eyes ran quickly over the page and he threw it down in disgust.  "This is all planned I'll bet!! Inter-House Relations and all that crap."  He sat down on a chair, flushed with fury.  Ginny quietly walked over and picked it up with her delicate hands, reading it carefully.  Draco watched her with interest but soon stopped when he saw Hermione raising her eyebrow at him.  Ginny sighed.

        "I reckon Ron's right.  You know Dumbledore; always trying to make us get along…this is probably a setup.  We won't be able to get out of here until we're civil to each other."  She handed the parchment to Fred who was holding out his hands and grinned slightly when he cried out indignantly.

        "This isn't our battle! This is your lot's, we should be up there at our last Feast!"  He threw the paper over to Harry and sat down next to Ron, an identical expression of anger on his face.  Harry looked down at the paper and jumped when he saw new words forming on it.  He read them out loud.

        "_Many apologies to Fred and George Weasley, who were not meant to be in the carriage at the time."  Ginny started laughing hard along with Hermione as the twin's expressions darkened considerably._

        "Easy enough for him to say, he's not stuck in here with his siblings and Slytherin scum!" George commented in a bad temper.

        "Do we count for nothing?" Hermione asked grinning, pointing to herself and Harry.

        "No," Draco and Pansy said at the same time, but Hermione was laughing too hard to bother retaliating.  

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            After the laughter had subsided, there was an awkward silence as everyone thought of what to do.

        "Well!" Hermione said cheerfully after maybe five minutes.  Everyone looked up at her, stunned.  

        "Well what Herms?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

        "Well, I was thinking that-that maybe we should do one of those getting to know you games…maybe Dumbledore will consider that enough and we can get out of here."  She shrugged, flushing a little.  Pansy rolled her eyes.     

        "Brilliant Granger, what are we supposed to do then?  Go around the circle and say our name and favorite color?"

        "It's a start," Ginny agreed with Hermione, putting her legs underneath her like a cushion.  "Maybe not favorite color though…full name, favorite subject, hobby…that should do it."  She almost laughed again at the equally horrified looks that Ron, Harry and Draco were all giving her.

        "Are you insane?  I don't think I really need to go around telling _them." Ron jerked his head to the sulking Slytherins at the other end of the car, "my favorite hobbies."_

        "Then we can stay in here until Christmas," Pansy interjected impatiently.  "I need to get to Hogwarts; I need a change of clothes."     

        "I'll say you do," Hermione muttered, and Pansy glared at her.

        "This is your idea, you start if you're so clever," Pansy said dangerously quiet.  Hermione shrugged and grinned.

        "Fine I will.  I'm Hermione Marie Granger, my favorite subject is Arithmancy and I like to read."

        Draco snorted and muttered, "We couldn't figure that out for ourselves?" Hermione glared at him.  

        "You go then!"

        Draco shrugged.  "If it will get me away from you idiots…Draco Atticus Malfoy, Potions, scaring first years."  He leaned back and smirked.  Ginny glowered at him.

        "A real hobby Malfoy!"

        "Fine!" he snapped.  "I like to cook. And I don't want to hear any remarks on that!" he said quickly when he saw the look of absolute delight cross over Ron's face.  Ron nodded, chortling.

        "Of course of course, Master Chef Malfoy!" Draco scowled, and Ron silently decided to go next, tucking away the cooking information in a mental file.  "Ronald Nathan Weasley, I like lunch, but if you want a real subject Divination because it's great to make fun of her, and I like to eat."  Ginny giggled.  "What??" 

        "You like to eat…that's an understatement!" she said giggling hard.  Ron grinned.

        "Yeah well-you go then Gin, eh?" She took in a deep breath to stop giggling and then started.

        "Virginia Eve Weasley.  I like Charms and sketching. Happy Ron?" she said, looking back over at him.  

        "Yeah."      

        "Good."  Ginny turned to Harry, who was being rather quiet.  "Your turn then Harry." She said, blushing slightly.  Draco snarled at this but no one noticed, especially not Harry who just shrugged.

        "All right.  Harry James Potter.  I like Transfiguration although McGonagall gives loads of homework and I like Quidditch.  Erm…why don't you go George?"  

        "Sure.  George Michael Weasley, Muggle Studies, inventing pranks."  He turned to his twin.  "Your turn Freddie me boy!" Fred chuckled. 

        "Of course!  Frederick Samuel Weasley, Charms, selling pranks."  Draco raised a blond eyebrow.

        "Selling pranks?"

        Fred nodded, looking very smug. "We've only just bought the Shrieking Shack…we should be in business by next summer."  Despite himself, Draco was very impressed but covered it up with a snide remark.

        "What did you have to sell in order to get the run down place eh?"  Ron snarled and started over towards Malfoy but Hermione grabbed his shoulder.  Draco chuckled.  "All right then Pans, you give it a go."  Pansy beamed at the nickname.

        "Pansy Marigold Violet Rose Parkinson," she ignored the looks of disbelief at the long name, "Divination, shopping.  Okay, Crabbe your turn."

        Crabbe stared blankly at her.  "What?"

        "Oh for heaven's sakes!" Draco snapped irritably.  "His name is Vincent Alexander Crabbe, he has no favorite subject because he fails them all and his hobbies are eating like the Weasel over there."  Crabbe nodded like that settled it and Draco continued, as everyone in the compartment started to laugh.  "The other git's name is Gregory Oliver Goyle, he likes Potions and he also enjoys eating."  He gave the pair of them a disgusted look before turning to look at the others who were practically on the floor in laughing.  Draco waited patiently until they stopped.

        "Okay, well if that was enough then it will only be a matter of minutes until we're back at Hogwarts," Harry commented, getting comfortable on a seat next to Ginny.  She flushed slightly, and they all fell into a waiting silence.

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        "_Fantastic, what happened to 'a matter of minutes' Potter?" Pansy sneered twenty minutes later.  Harry looked puzzled._

        "I don't know…I guess we need to do more."  

        "Great!" Ron said heavily, with much sarcasm.  "Just fantastic!  Here I am, stuck in a train compartment when I should be at Hogwarts EATING!" He leant back against the windows, scowling.  Hermione patted his shoulder sympathetically.

        "I know!" Ginny said brightly.  Everyone turned to look at her.  "A game of Confessions!"  Fred and George groaned and Fred commented dryly, 

        "And the fourteen year old speaks, ladies and gentlemen!" Ginny's face fell, and she blinked back the tears threatening to spill over her long lashes.  

        "Oh come on Gin, you can't expect us to want to play that!" George replied to her saddened expression.  Hermione looked over at Ginny, who looked thoroughly embarrassed.   

        "Well, maybe that's more along the lines of what Dumbledore was thinking," she said, trying to make Ginny feel better.  Ginny smiled gratefully.

        "Yeah, maybe if we play a couple rounds of that…that horrible, very girly game," Ron said, wanting to cheer Ginny up but not able to hide the disdain he had for the game, "…maybe we can get out of here!" He looked over at Harry for support and Harry sighed.

        "Fine, fine, I'm in, but only for like, two rounds all right?" he looked over at Ginny who gave him a brilliant smile.  Both Harry and Draco felt their insides turn over, and they both mentally slapped themselves.

        "Well I want to get out of here and much as you do, believe it or not," Draco said, sitting on the floor.  "I'm in."  Fred and George looked at each other, identical sly grins coming over their faces.       

        "What say we make this a little more interesting, eh?" Fred said, gleefully rubbing his hands together.  Pansy groaned in disbelief.  

        "Is that all you two think about?  Gambling?" George put on an innocent wide eyed look.

        "Gambling?  Oh no, my dear Pansy," she scowled, "but now that you mention it…what a corking idea!" He grinned, taking out his moneybag.  "We put the questions in a hat, pertaining to the people in this room…you know, like 'who do you think is most likely to get Minister for Magic?' dumb questions like that.  Then, we bet on what the answer will be."

        "How do you know we won't just say something different so that you'll lose your money?" Draco asked, intrigued nonetheless.  Fred winked.

        "Ah, that's where the genius comes in.  Harry, Ron gave you a Sneakoscope in your third year, did he not?" Harry looked up and nodded.

        "Yeah, what's you point?"

        "Do you have it with you Harry?"  Hermione asked, starting to get what the twins were going after and getting a little excited despite herself.  

        "I think so, hold on…" he rummaged through his small bag and triumphantly held up the small object that looked like a top.  "Here we are!"  Everyone looked at it for a moment as Harry set it down on the floor and it balanced perfectly still.  Ginny tilted her head slightly, wondering when it would fall over.  Fred and George looked delighted.

        "Excellent!  Now this will be a good game of Confessions….I daresay better than any of your little slumber party girly ones Gin."  Ginny looked up and blushed scarlet.

        "How so Fred?" she replied as calmly as she could.  

        "In this way dearest sister," he said grinning.  "We put questions in a bag of sorts; we take turns taking them out.  We bet on what the person's answer will be, and then they answer.  We'll know that they're lying if the Sneakoscope starts going off.  Simple as that, and a hell of a lot of gold for us I daresay."  He grinned wider than ever, ignoring the horrified look on Ginny's face.

        _But…but that means…they'll know my secrets!!  Oh why did I have to suggest this? She thought miserably.  Ron noticed her face._

        "Cheer up Gin, it's not like we're going to ask you very personal questions anyway…just enough so that Dumbledore will get us out of here!" he scowled darkly around the carriage.  The sound of eight moneybags coming out of their owner's pockets echoed throughout the carriage, and is if in some sort of cheesy musical, their voices came together as they said,

        "I'm in!"

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**A/N: mwah ha ha ha ha, I could leave you all here to wonder what's going to happen for another week, but as I might have mono and am here sick again, I'm going to write another chapter! Let me hear you cheer!!!**


	6. Playwizard Magazine

**Disclaimer and Author's Notes: see last chapter, I'm lazy today.**

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        Ginny rummaged through her robe pockets and unearthed a few more coins.  Triumphantly, she dropped them in her moneybag and slid onto the floor, along with everyone else sans Crabbe and Goyle.  Fred and George seemed to have taken over this particular operation, kneeling side by side at the head of the circle with a large, empty moneybag and some parchment.

        "Does anyone have a quill?" George asked to the group.  Everyone shook their heads, but then Pansy squealed and happily brought out a midnight black quill from her pocket, handing it to George.  He nodded at her and then there was a thoughtful pause before he started writing.  When he was finished, he folded it carefully and dropped it in the moneybag.  "Now, I'm going to pass around the parchment and quill and you write down a question…make them sort of serious at least, or we'll never get out of here."  Everyone agreed and got comfortable in their positions.  Around the circle it went: George, Fred, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny, Draco, and Pansy.  This meant of course, that Ginny had turned some sort of permanent lobster red.  Hermione waited patiently as Fred wrote down his question and pulled off her jumper, revealing her to only be wearing a white tank top underneath.  Thankfully, no one noticed the look of apparent disbelief Ron wore.  Ginny saw Hermione and decided it was a very good idea, as it was starting to get uncomfortably hot in there, and took off her robes and jumper, throwing them behind her on the seats.  She too was only wearing a tank top, but hers was a forest green.  Pansy saw Draco's eyes widen and then flick away to the floor and her eyes narrowed.  

        "Done," Fred said happily, dropping his in the moneybag and handing the moneybag to Hermione.  This went on until it had gone to Pansy, who was last.  She handed the bag to George and leaned back, still scowling at Draco darkly.

        "Right then!" George said in triumph, taking the bag from Pansy and putting it in the middle next to the Sneakoscope.  Who's going first?" Silence.  "Oh come on!" he said impatiently, waiting.  There was a sigh, and then-

        "Fine, I'll go."  

        "That a boy Harry!" Fred said in delight, handing him the bag.  "All right then, take out a question!"  Harry rolled his eyes and stuck his hand in the bag, finally taking out a small piece of parchment.  He opened it and read the neat handwriting with apprehension.  

_If there is one person you'd really like to slowly torture and then kill in this carriage, who would it be?  _

        Everyone waited impatiently as he gulped.  "Well what does it say?" Hermione asked with annoyance.  He read it out loud.

        "Right then, bets in for those who want them!" Fred said cheerily, taking out two gold coins.  "Two Galleons on Malfoy!"  Draco smirked.

        George snorted. "One Galleon on Ginny."  Ginny's jaw dropped.  

        "_What?!?" George ignored her._

        Hermione took five Sickles out.  "Five Sickles on Crabbe." No one looked confused or surprised at the name.  Ginny spoke up.

        "4 Galleons on nobody. Well, what's the answer then Harry?"  Harry looked up.  He thought hard.

        "Erm….I guess Malfoy."

        "Brill!" Fred exclaimed, starting to take the other's coins, when the Sneakoscope went off.  Fred stopped dead.  Harry looked at it, startled.

        "Oh.  Well then, maybe…oh blast it; I couldn't do that to someone, even Malfoy!" They watched the Sneakoscope.  It had stopped squeaking, and everyone looked at Ginny who was grinning.

        "Cough it up then!"  Mumbling to themselves, they handed her their money and she put it in her bag. 

        "Of course. Perfect Potter, not wanting to cause ill harm to anyone," Draco muttered, crossing his arms.  Harry rolled his eyes and chose to ignore it.  

        "All right," said Ron, breaking the silence, "Who's next?"

        "How about you Weasel?" Pansy said looking at her index fingernail, bored.  Ron shrugged.

        "Why not?"  He grabbed the bag and stuck his hand inside almost roughly, and came out with a larger piece of parchment.  He looked at it, trying to decipher the messy handwriting.  Fred looked at him.

        "Need help with that?" Ron nodded gratefully and handed it to him, reading it out loud.

_Who do you think in this carriage is would be most likely to be the best Playwizard model?_

        Ron went ghost white as everyone else snorted.  "Who wrote that one?!?" he asked furiously.  George looked up at the ceiling whistling innocently.  "You-"

        "Oh come on Ron it's not a big deal!" Hermione said, laughing nonetheless.  "Just answer the question and then…and then I will!" Ron groaned but agreed.

        "OK, fine.  Erm…" He was turning a very lovely shade of fire engine red by now.

        "Wait wait bets!" Fred said in utter delight.  "Oh I forgot how much I love these questions!" Ron scowled deeper than ever, but everyone ignored him as they took out their money.  

        "10 Galleons on Granger," Draco said, throwing the 10 gold coins on the floor.  Hermione went purple, and Ginny started giggling shrilly.  

        "5 Galleons on Pansy," Harry said, tossing his on the floor too, and mouthing an apology to Ron who was looking murderous.  All of a sudden Ginny burst out laughing and they all turned to her, astonished.

        "Who do you think then Gin?" She clamped her hand to her mouth and tossed ten silver coins on the floor before they heard a barely audible 'Malfoy' come out.  There was a shocked pause before they all burst out laughing again, partly at how hysterical Ginny was and how thunderstruck Ron was.  Draco was torn between scowling and laughing.

        "GINNY!!!!!!" he bellowed.  She shook her head apologetically and turned so that she wouldn't laugh at the look on his face.  

        "Well then Ronniekins," George cut in, chuckling, "what's your answer then?"

        "Pansy! Pansy all right?" he said, looking around at them all and mentally blowing them apart.  Just as Pansy started to look very smug, the Sneakoscope went off again. "Oh no, now what?!?" Ron said in exasperation looking at the spinning top.  

        "Just admit it Ron, you want to see Malfoy in the magazine now don't you?" Hermione said grinning mischievously.  Ron's face contorted in disgust.

        "Oh that's sick-fine then.  Hermione!" The Sneakoscope stopped and Hermione's jaw dropped.  

        "What, wait excuse me?" she spluttered, too shocked to go through with her earlier promise of taking her turn after him.  Draco swept up all of the coins smirking broadly.  Ginny saw the terrified look on Ron's face and she grabbed the bag.

        "All right, I'm not going now but who will?" she interrupted, looking around.  There was only a second of hesitation before Draco took it from her impatiently.

        "I will.  For God's sakes, I just want to get out of here and go on with my life!" Everyone gaped as he took out a piece of parchment glaring at them all and read it out loud without really absorbing what it said:

_If you're a girl: which guy in here would you most like to have as your boyfriend? If you're a guy: same thing, but out of the girls and girlfriend?  _

        Everyone looked at him warily and he read it over twice again, before scowling. "For the love of- "

        "Go on then Malfoy," Harry said, grinning.  "Which one is it? Bachelorette number 1, 2 or 3?" He motioned to the girls, Ginny and Hermione looking utterly repulsed and Pansy looking hopeful.  Draco snarled.  

        "Whoever wrote this question, I swear I'll-"

        "Shut it already and answer the bloody question!" Pansy said, breathless with anticipation. Draco looked down at her and shrugged.

        "All right then.  Pansy." 

        The Sneakoscope went off with a loud and shrill scream of disagreement.  Everyone's jaws dropped.

        "Not Pansy?" Ron said his voice dangerously low.  "So help me God Malfoy, your last choices are my best friend and my little sister…"

        Draco's usually indifferent expression was panicked and everyone saw it.  "What Ferret, scared?"  Draco's head snapped up at Harry's comment.

        "No way."

        "Then give us the right answer!" They glared at each other for a minute before Draco sighed and leaned against the wall again.

        "Er…Granger?"  In the second that Hermione looked utterly and totally revolted and that Ron lunged at Malfoy, hands outstretched and Fred and George both flung their hands out to stop him, the Sneakoscope kept on whistling.  Ron stopped; Hermione looked confused, and Ginny went pale as she realized what that meant. Draco went even paler than usual, and Pansy's eyes narrowed into dangerous little slits.  Draco's undeniably panicked voice came through the silence.  "It's faulty.  The bloody thing's broken!  You all, out of anyone, know that I wouldn't date anyone out of Slytherin!" Harry raised an eyebrow.

        "This thing's been pretty accurate so far. So…you want a go with Gin?" It looked like he was trying to hold back laughter.  Ginny narrowed her eyes at the expression on Harry's face.

        "Maybe he does.  So I've grown.  Just because you haven't noticed doesn't mean he hasn't!"  Harry looked shocked at the outburst.

        "I wasn't saying that at all, I was just saying-"

        "Oh yes.  You were 'just saying'.  Everyone 'just says'.  But after years upon years of trying to get everyone to notice me, no one believes I can get any sort of positive attention whatsoever!  This is bull."  Harry looked at Ron and mouthed 'what's her problem?'.  Ron shrugged, and both Draco and Ginny saw it.  They both scowled, and as Ginny opened her mouth to say something, Draco beat her to it.  

        "I'm a Malfoy, and Malfoys don't lust after Weasleys," Ginny's face fell, "but let's say I did, for argument's sake."  His tone was completely unconvincing, and Hermione tilted her head slightly.  "What kind of a difference would that make?  I mean, you've basically had her for you to enjoy all this time and you never took advantage of the situation, so I reckon you'd deserve to have a great git like me come and sweep her off of her feet then, eh?" Ron bellowed with rage and leapt where Draco was sitting.  Draco smirked and rolled over out of the way; Ron went crashing into the wall. 

        "Ow…" Hermione ran over. 

        "Are you all right?" she asked anxiously, lifting up his head.  Draco was smirking very largely now, and didn't notice that he had rolled over into Ginny's lap.  She looked down and went scarlet. 

        "Err….Malfoy?  If you don't mind?"  Draco's eyes looked up and a pink tinge came into his pale cheeks.  He sprang up as though electrocuted.  

        "Watch it Weasley."

        She smirked a tiny bit.  "Ah, but I wasn't the one who said you'd go out with me eh?  Tell me Draco, when did that come into play?"  He smirked right back.

        "And since when do you call me Draco?"  They both glared at each other, unaware of the audience they now had.  Ginny shrugged and broke the joint glares.

        "Since now I guess.  _Draco," she added for effect.  He narrowed his eyes._

        "Fine then.  _Ginny."  And they both sat down on their heels angrily._

        Fred raised an eyebrow.  "Look you two, if you want to bonk so badly, who are we to stop you?" His mischievous grin was wiped off of his face when two very well aimed Galleons were chucked furiously at him. 

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A/N: I know that was a cliché chapter, Truth or Dare and all that, but I think this was different.  I think. Flame me if you think otherwise, I want to know. =)

~Raven Black~


	7. Tension

            There was a tense and awkward silence as everyone settled back into the circle; the only difference was that it was much more far spread out.  Therefore, the entire carriage was taken up by sprawling and pretty much very hormonal/angry teenagers.  Harry looked around and almost laughed.  Two days ago he never would've thought he'd be stuck in a _train car_ with these people!  

        Hermione coughed and everyone jumped.  "Sorry," she mumbled, crossing over to the window seat and sitting down on her knees.  Ron yawned and started tapping out "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the wooden floor until he realized the annoying stares he was getting.  He flushed scarlet as Weasleys are well known to do and then George burst out jovially, "So the game's a bust because Peroxide here fancies our little sister.  Now what?" Draco scowled at the name and comment while Ginny fought to keep her own blush down.  Ron snarled but kept quiet, except for his loudly cracking knuckles.  

        "Ew that's so nasty!" Pansy exclaimed, inching farther away from Ron.  Ron grinned mischievously and rotated his wrist and then his neck: cracking all round.  Pansy shrieked and backed up straight into Draco.  He looked down and opened his mouth to say something scathing, but then sighed and leaned against the wall, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

        "I need to get out of here," he muttered darkly.  "I think I'm going mad."

        "You'd better hope you're going mad," Ron began, taking a suspicious look at him and then Ginny, before receiving a Look from Hermione and Harry.  

        "He's right though, if we don't get out of here soon we'll either starve or skin each other alive with penknives," Harry put in.  There was a murmur of agreement that circulated the room.  Ginny idly threw a Sickle up into the air and started twirling it midair with her wand.  Everyone watched, with a lack of something better to do.  She concentrated hard, tongue sticking out slightly as she made it go loop-the-loop and swoop dangerously close to her eyes.  Draco, getting sick of the silence, got up abruptly and grabbed it out of the air.  He smirked at her indignant face and pocketed it. 

        "Hey thanks," he said, patting his pocket.  Ginny frowned, but when he turned around the Sickle floated out of his pocket and into her hand.  Hermione looked on approvingly. 

        "You've really gotten very good at Charms Gin!" she said, coming to sit next to her instead. Ginny beamed. 

        "Thanks."  

        From the corner of the room came a low humming- Pansy.  Ginny and Hermione listened despite themselves as Ron, Fred, George and Harry started talking about Quidditch; Draco crossed over to them to listen.  Pansy's humming was quite good for a hum; low and rich.  Hermione recognized the song as a Muggle tune, and picked up the middle part when the right beat came.  Her hum was lovely, not too high not too low, and incredibly rounded as it seemed.  Pansy looked up, surprised, but didn't stop.  Ginny looked from girl to girl and listened attentively as they rounded where the repeat was.  Having the tune, she joined in; a lilting soprano.  Crabbe and Goyle were playing Rocks Paper Scissors in the corner, where the winner would pound the other's hand viciously with their "rock".  

        The girls came to the loudest part of the song and without thinking, they burst out into the words (although Ginny was singing on "la").  The guys all jumped from fright and then simultaneously raised their eyebrows.  Draco saw this similarity and stopped immediately.  The girls shut their mouths firmly, embarrassed, but there was a secret smile between them now that was the musical bind that united them in song.  Pansy's face was that of pure relief, although on every guy's face was what Kwik Horror must look like.

        "What was that?' Fred asked pleasantly.  

        "A song I suppose," Ginny answered sarcastically, and Hermione and Pansy laughed.  Harry and Ron looked at Hermione quizzically, but she took no notice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        The boredom was beginning to settle in.  No one had a watch even, so the minutes seemed to sludge by at the pace of molasses in January.  Harry looked around him and shook his head with a slight smile as Pansy shoved back the cushions of the window seat to find her lost nail.  Red like the rest presumably.  She was muttering under her breath, "Bugger, that's the third one this week!"  Pansy looked up to find Hermione crouching down as well.  Pansy snarled.  "What do you want Granger?"  

        "Helping you find your sodding nail," came the muffled reply.  Hermione hadn't moved her head to look at her, which was probably a good thing: Pansy's face was one of confusion.  Hermione popped up triumphantly.  "Got it! Here you are," she said, handing the nail to Pansy.  

        "Need adhesive glue to get that thing back on Pans?" Draco drawled sarcastically.  Pansy scowled. 

        "No thank you I'm fine," she replied, arranging it on her middle finger carefully and then sticking the newly improved finger at Draco.  Everyone started laughing as Draco narrowed his eyes.  

        "Watch it Parkinson," he said in what he thought was a menacing manner.  Pansy started giggling.  

        "Au contraire _Malfoy, you should watch it," she said pointing at her finger again threateningly.  Fresh laughter erupted all over the carriage as Draco's expression darkened considerably.  He sat down glaring at them all thinking hard._

        _Okay…I'm stuck. In a bloody train carriage.  With the people I hate most. And now the one person I know I can control is on THEIR side! Looks like the only way I'm getting out of here is to fake it.  _Draco looked back up to find that everyone had moved on from his minor embarrassment and was relieved.  He leaned back and started quietly eavesdropping on the conversation Ron and Hermione were having in hushed tones behind him.  

        "I don't like it Herm, its way too strange," Ron was saying, and Draco could hear the cracking knuckles while he spoke.  Draco's interest perked.

        Hermione sighed.  "Look, you'll just have to get over it, ok?  Just because he might think your sister is…" it seemed like Hermione was disapproving of the term, "…hot or something, doesn't mean you can let him annoy you so badly!"  Draco silently congratulated himself on the unintentional annoyance he had now provided them.  

        "It's just bloody _wrong!  She's my sister, a Weasley, and he's supposed to hate us! That's the natural way of things! And she didn't even look repulsed at the very _idea_ of it!" Ron's voice increased in volume slightly and indignantly.  _

        "Well, that game certainly brought out…interesting aspects of people…" Hermione's voice said, sounding as though it carried a hint.  There was a pause.  

        "Look Mione, I-I reckon I went slightly mad there or something just forget about it ok?" Ron replied defensively.  Inwardly, Draco grinned; from his past experience, that is something a guy should _never_ say to a girl, even if under the influence of drugs!  

        Hermione's voice was slightly shaky, but trying to be nonchalant when she answered, "Oh well yes, that's what I was planning to do.  Right.  Yes well-back to Ginny then?" Draco decided he had heard enough and that he didn't want to hear anymore about him and slid to the floor for a nap.

        Hermione wasn't listening to a word of the rant Ron was on as she seethed silently.  _He's such a bloody bloke! A guy with no sensitivity at all! Damn pig, how DARE he even say that to me???  _She came back to reality when she heard Ron saying "Isn't that right Hermione?" 

        "Oh yes, absolutely," she replied rolling her eyes, but he didn't see.  Now he was onto Draco Hair Bashing.  Hermione leaned back and sighed deeply.  She'd heard it all before, and was quite frankly starting to get sick of it.  Sure, he was an enormous prat, but it wasn't so bad that she wanted to throw him off of a cliff.  She'd gotten over the Mudblood thing ages ago too.  It's hard to get really worked up about a term that's from a world you're not.

        _In a way, _she thought, analyzing Ron like one of her textbooks, _he's WORSE than Malfoy…at least Malfoy acknowledges he's a prat! She brought her eyes up and they met Harry's.  They had the hint of a grin in them and she narrowed her eyes at the mockery.  _He knows…__

        All of a sudden a huge POP came from the corner of the train.  Draco rolled over from his nap and hit the wall with a thud and a low "owww" when he heard the sound as everyone's heads jerked up to see a huge floating scroll.  It read:

_Dear Inhabitants-_

_        Congratulations!  Seven of you have made strides towards getting out.  Granted, not large enough: but strides nonetheless.  In fact, two of you are free to go once the morning comes.  Nighty night!_

_-Albus Dumbledore_

        Ron looked confused at the letter.  "Seven? There are ten of us in here, so who _hasn't made strides?"  They all looked around; only two people didn't look confused._

        Hermione looked at Ginny.  "Do you want to explain to the rest of this clueless lot?"  Ginny grinned and nodded.  Everyone looked at them suspiciously, with the exception of Crabbe and Goyle who had fallen asleep hours ago and never bothered to wake up yet.  

        "Well, since Dumb and Dumber haven't been conscious for awhile, they obviously aren't part of the seven," Ginny started to explain.  Nodding of heads went around as she continued.  "I figured out who the third one was through the process of elimination and I'm sure Hermione did too- Ron."  

        "WHAT?!?" Ron exploded.  "Oh I don't believe this!  I try and TRY to get along with our serpent faced friends here and what do I get? Association with the scum of Slytherin! Fab!" Ginny bit her lip to stop from laughing.

        "No, let me explain you silly prat!" she said, stifling giggles.  "Hermione, me and Pansy seem to be all right- I always have thought blokes were hopeless," she added while the 'blokes' scowled.  "Harry…well, he just seems to be all right, doesn't he?"  She turned and flashed him a radiant smile and he grinned back.  

        "Thanks Gin."

        "Typical," Draco muttered darkly.  "Scarhead, the Ambassador of Peace…"

        "Don't get too bitter _Draco," Ginny said pointedly, remembering their previous conversation, and Draco looked up, surprised she had heard him.  "You're the seventh."_

        Draco actually laughed.  "You have _got _to be kidding me.  Me, Draco Malfoy, actually get along/like a Gryffindor? Not bloody likely," he replied, settling into his seat.  She looked at Hermione for help.  Hermione grinned.

        "Oh you're more stupid than I thought- you've seen past the Weasley little girl image to actually…erm, how shall we put this?...appreciate her new looks," Hermione said.  Ginny blushed deep scarlet while everyone else started laughing- besides Ron of course.  He was silently counting to two hundred before he could go and punch his sister and Malfoy both.  Draco chose not to comment on this although he was a little freaked; it had been nothing but teasing ever since that stupid Truth game thingy.  It wasn't even worth the money he won for God's sakes…

        "…and Fred and George weren't even supposed to be here- they practically like _everyone_," Ginny finished quickly, noticing the growing anger on her brother's face and the horror fighting to cover Draco's.  Fred and George broke into identical grins.

        "Excellent!  I'm starving," Fred said, rubbing his stomach thoughtfully.

        "Y'know, I'm sure we could conjure up something," George pointed out.  Harry grinned all of a sudden.

        "I think I can help out there," he said, pulling up the sleeves of his robes.  This brought everyone's attention to that Harry was still wearing robes.

        "Off with it Potter," Draco said sarcastically.  "I can see Little Red Riding Hood here just _aching _to see you robeless," he said, motioning with his head toward Ginny.  She bit her lip in frustration at his malevolent comment as Harry cocked an eyebrow.

        "And you're not restless to see _her topless? Come on now Malfoy, you're an idiot, but I never took you for a hypocrite." The twins whooped and Ron broke out into a grin as Ginny blushed deeper than ever.  Draco frowned, not being able to find an adequate answer to this.  All of a sudden, his eyes narrowed into slits and he stood up._

        "Right, I'm sick of this bull.  Either you stop_ with the jokes or I won't cooperate at all, and then we're __all stuck here!  I hate you as much as you hate me so let's just at least fake friendship or whatever and then we're free to ignore each other for the rest of the year –yes, that's a promise. I won't breathe a word to you for as long as I _live _if I get out of here alive!  Oh, and by the way Weasley, I have no viable interest in your little sister whatsoever," he added to Ron on his left.  "Did you ever think that me wanting to date someone is similar to that of __shagging someone? And let's face it; Pansy and Granger here aren't exactly the shaggable type," he finished up, sitting on the bench to face the looks he was getting.  No one was used to hearing a huge speech from him, as most of their conversations included bitter sarcasm and frantic wand waving.  _

        Hermione, Ron and Harry all wore the same face of complete and utter disbelief at his bluntness; Hermione & Ron in particular looked furious.  Fred and George were torn between laughing and hexing him senseless.  Crabbe and Goyle were still asleep; Pansy looked absolutely livid at the label "non-shaggable".  However Ginny's face was one of a crushed and heartbroken girl, and everyone in the carriage struggled to figure out why it looked so familiar…but only Harry and Draco landed the right interpretation.

        It was the face she wore for four years while she longed for Harry's attention.

        "Excuse me," Ginny muttered, and the next minute she was out of the carriage and sitting on the grassy knoll outside.  Hermione stood up, shaking with absolute rage, wand out.  

        "You are without a doubt, the most loathsome, shameless creature I have ever had the horror of meeting," she said, ice freezing in every syllable of the statement.  Even Harry and Ron, who were used to her rants and tirades, were shocked at how angry she sounded.  Fred and George looked at each other and simultaneously shifted themselves away from her.  

        "I have to agree with her Malfoy," Pansy said, getting up also and glaring murderously at him.  "I can't _believe _I was so desperate to get your approval! This is bloody ridiculous."  Draco's jaw was dropped in disbelief at the responses he was getting.  "Oh shut your mouth you berk! Come on Granger, let's go see if she's slashed her wrists yet."  And without another furious glare or word, they walked out and slammed the carriage door behind them.   Harry was now conversing in low tones with Ron, and they both looked uncharacteristically grim.  

        "Oh for God's sakes, I don't think she needs you two to hold her hand!" Draco spat out, slouching in a don't-even-try-it manner.  

        "She doesn't need idiots like you making her miserable either!" Harry retorted angrily, losing his temper slightly.  "I don't get why you have to be so damn offensive! What is it Malfoy, a defense mechanism? A souvenir of a tortured past? Well goody for you – as of now, I officially don't care whether you were barbequed in tar tar sauce and fed to cannibals!"  

        Draco stood up abruptly, his gray eyes literally flashing.  "Say that again."

        Ginny sat down blankly, staring ahead into the gray sky and bleak green grass.  Her hands twisted in her lap, but the rest of her was still.  She heard a silence in the car behind her and then a yelling that sounded like Pansy.  Involuntarily, a tear slid down her cheek.  That was all it took; the sobs came out of her like the words on a page, cutting through her.  Gasping for breath, she hunched over into herself, curling up to try and make them stop.

        _How could I be so stupid?? First Harry, then Malfoy…they're all right.  I'm just a little girl.  God I'm so stupid!_

_        She bit her fist hard so that she could stop crying, but all she succeeded in doing was making two little punctures in her knuckles that looked like a vampire bit it.  All of a sudden she heard the carriage door slam behind her and Hermione and Pansy were sitting next to her.  Hermione looked angrier than Ginny had ever known her to be, and Pansy looked plain insulted.  Hermione took her hand._

        "God Ginny he's such a prat, don't listen to him!" she consoled, and to Ginny and Hermione's fantastic surprise, Pansy took Ginny's other hand.

        "I've been in this boat before, you want to get on deck ASAP," she said, laughing slightly.  Ginny smiled slightly through the overwhelming tears.  

        "Breathe Gin, breathe," Hermione said, looking more concerned than angry now.  Ginny obeyed, taking in one rattly breath after another.  Pansy squeezed her hand, now fake nail-less, and looked sad. 

        "I actually had hope in him – I thought he could be a nice guy. Never mind that eh?"  Hermione nodded fervently.  

        "Oh, I can stand Mudblood, but you insult my friend like that…he's got something coming to him all right!" Hermione vowed, and the others looked at her in surprise.  She grinned mischievously.  "What, I'm not allowed to scheme?"

        "Nope, you've got to get your learner's permit first," Pansy remarked, letting go of Ginny's hand and hugging her knees to her chest.  "Tomorrow, we launch Operation Draco.  Tonight, we get some rest.  Do either of you have blankets in your trunks?"  Hermione shook her head, but Ginny brightened up.  

        "Actually, yes.  What, can we sleep out here?" she asked eagerly, sounding like a girl on Christmas morning.  Pansy and Hermione laughed.  

        "I'd rather sleep out here than in there.  _Accio Ginny's Trunk!" Hermione intoned, and the trunk came crashing through the window of the car.  Hermione grinned sheepishly while Ginny and Pansy laughed.  "Ah well. Let's sleep."_

        But no one in the car had noticed the crash- there were too many going on in there already.


	8. Bloody Right You Will

**A/N: Just letting you know, I'm only online during the weekends and vacations, so that's when you'll get your updates: don't bother checking any other time! Also, I do NOT do slash, so bear in mind PLEASE that the Pansy and Hermione scenes are FRIENDSHIP. Thank you. :-) **

_"She doesn't need idiots like you making her miserable either!" Harry retorted angrily, losing his temper slightly.  "I don't get why you have to be so damn offensive! What is it Malfoy, a defense mechanism? A souvenir of a tortured past? Well goody for you – as of now, I officially don't care whether you were barbequed in tar tar sauce and fed to cannibals!"  _

_        Draco stood up abruptly, his gray eyes literally flashing.  "Say that again."_

_*_

_"Oh, I can stand Mudblood, but you insult my friend like that…he's got something coming to him all right!" Hermione vowed, and the others looked at her in surprise.  She grinned mischievously.  "What, I'm not allowed to scheme?"_

_        "Nope, you've got to get your learner's permit first," Pansy remarked, letting go of Ginny's hand and hugging her knees to her chest.  "Tomorrow, we launch Operation Draco.  Tonight, we get some rest."_

*

        Harry stood up with an amused look on his face.  "What, did I upset you?" he asked mockingly, enjoying himself immensely.

        "Mildly," Draco replied without a flinch.  Harry raised a questioning eyebrow.  

        "How exac-"

        "How do you think you can come off with that shit?" he interrupted abruptly.  "You don't know the _first thing about me and I know I haven't given you room to but doesn't that give you the hint that you and my personal life don't mix?"  No one, _no one_, in the train carriage had ever seen Draco so angry.  Even Crabbe and Goyle, who were now jerked awake by the sound of yelling, were looking at their leader in shock.  Draco had his hands balled up into tight fists, his eyes reduced to slits.   Even Harry looked beyond surprised._

        "Steady on, he didn't mean to pry," Fred said reasonably.  Draco rounded on him.  

        "Oh don't get me _started_ on you Weasleys!" he said looking at Ron, Fred and George.  "You lot are a whole other issue!"  George held up his hands in surrender.

        "OK, we opt to stay out of this," he said, pointing to him and Fred.

        "Bloody right you will," Draco said, glaring venomously at them.  Harry, meanwhile, was at somewhat of a loss.

        "I didn't know that would get you so-" 

        "Yeah that's right.  You don't know jack shit."  Draco flung himself onto a seat moodily.  Instantly, Ron got up as red as his hair.

        "Look, I don't know what goes on with you," Draco opened his mouth to say something but Ron barreled on, obviously trying to get his two cents in before he could get interrupted.  "But why do you do that?"  The insulting, cursing; what's in it for you?"  The wand in Draco's hand was quivering from suppressed power and rage, and now it sent a huge blue beam at the window behind Ron.  It shattered with an earsplitting crack.  

        "Shut up! Just shut up all right?  It's none of your damn business Weasley!" he yelled, starting to completely lose it.  

        "It _is _our business when we're on the receiving end of it!" Ron bellowed back.  The two infuriated teens glared at each other, chests heaving from the yelling, Harry forgotten.  Both had their wands clutched in their hands ready to be whipped out at any moment.

        "Now it's personal," Draco whispered, the statement laced with open hate.  Ron nodded, eyes narrowed.

        "I should say so."

--

        Pansy looked over at Ginny and Hermione, who were sleeping soundly, with a small grin on her face.  It had been _years since she had talked to females without a sneer.  __It's not that bad, she thought, looking up at the inky black sky wonderingly.  __It's been a long day and I came out of it with allies, which is more than Draco can say. Go me._

_--_

        After a couple minutes of glaring, the twins decided it was time to break the tension, like always.  "God save our noble queen, God save our hobbled Queen, for she is OLLLDDD!!!"  they sang robustly.  Ron and Harry scowled at them, obviously not in the mood to laugh, while Draco denied them any response whatsoever.  George frowned, but his jolly spirit wasn't intimidated by the challenge.  "Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts…"    

        Draco groaned.  "Thanks for reminding me, I really need to know that once I'm done here I have to go there."  George stopped dead. 

        "That's actually a very good point," he replied, defeated.  "How annoying."  Fred rolled his eyes.

        "This is so pathetic- I forgot how stupid we were as fifth years."  Harry, Ron and Draco all sighed impatiently.  "We're off, I'm bloody tired," he added, conjuring up two fluffy pillows.  Fred tossed one to his twin, who caught it with a grin, and they both settled on the floor for the night.  Draco took off his coat and propped it up into a little pile as a makeshift pillow while Harry and Ron settled their heads on their jumpers.  Five minutes later, it was apparent that perhaps it was just as well the girls had left; the snores rocked the carriage like an earthquake.

--

        Ginny opened her eyes and was met with an unusually perfect landscape picture.  Acres and acres of rolling hills topped with a periwinkle blue sky made up the English countryside.  For England in September, this was incredibly rare.  She smiled happily, the humiliation of the previous night ebbing away.  Next to her, Hermione and Pansy were waking up slowly, rubbing their eyes sleepily.  "Morning sleepyheads," Ginny said to them happily.  Hermione waved an exhausted hand at her with what sounded like 'errgghh' and Pansy held up her middle finger without even thinking about it.  Ginny giggled.  "Well thanks a lot.  Anyway, it's really late.  I bet the guys were up ages ago."  Pansy opened her eyes and rolled them in disgust.

        "Who gives a damn about _them_?" she asked impatiently.  "_I certainly don't- and besides, look."  Pansy stuck out her leg; a big green streak was boldly splashed across her black pants.  "Potter stained my trousers!"  Hermione opened her eyes.  Pansy's blatantly put out voice made Ginny and Hermione burst out into fresh peals of laughter, cascading over the still picture of morning like a waterfall; granted a loud, raucous waterfall, but a waterfall nonetheless.   "He did though! And they're my best ones too," Pansy protested.  As she pouted, Ginny and Hermione were nowhere near the end of their laughing.  Pansy picked morosely at the grass as the other two subsided into contained giggles.  _

        "I've got some extras if you need them, we're probably around the same size," Hermione offered kindly.  Pansy looked over, grateful.

        "Thanks Granger."

        "No trouble," Hermione replied quietly, a little embarrassed at offering Pansy Parkinson trousers, of all people.  Ginny cleared her throat.

        "I'm going to get changed behind that bush," she said, nodding towards a large shrub.

        "We'll make sure Potter doesn't catch you in your knickers," Pansy drawled lazily, sounding like a female, but friendlier, Draco.  

        "Bloody right you will," Ginny mumbled, flushing magenta.  She got up with some clothes in her arms and ducked behind the bush.  Pansy looked around whistling 'Morning Had Broken'.  Hermione looked over at her curiously.

        "Hey look," she said pointing to their faces.  "No budding babies!"  Pansy laughed but grimaced at the memory of having to get dozens of little Mandrake buds removed from her face.  

        "Lord that was a mess," she said sighing.

        "Can you even remember why we did that?" Hermione asked, trying to sound casual but hoping for an interpretive answer.  Pansy thought about it before answering.  _Yeah, because you were a brown-nosed library geek who thought too much of herself._  But looking at her 'arch-enemy', who was now folding her sweater, Pansy couldn't quite hate her.  

        "No, I can't."  Hermione looked up, a slow smile spreading across her face, and without another ugly thought Pansy returned it.  

--

        Ginny came back five minutes later dressed prettily in a denim dress.  Hermione opened her mouth to say she liked the outfit, but Pansy opened hers first.  "No way that'll never do!" The other two girls looked at her in surprise.  

        "What, is it the wrong size or something?"  Ginny asked uncertainly, looking down at herself.  Pansy shook her head, sitting up.

        "Not at all, it's just for the plan I have in mind that-that whole image,"she waved her hands in a general way at Ginny, "has to go."  Hermione lay on her stomach putting her head on her heads comfortably, listening attentively.  

        "What are you talking about?" Ginny asked, unnerved.

        "I'm talking about _you _moron," Pansy replied irritably, but 'moron' was said more like an impatient word choice than an insult.  "I'm talking about no more pigtails, a lack of blush in every case and no more innocent aura, get it?"  Ginny shook her head slowly, though her instincts were telling her that this would go nowhere good, whatever it was.  On the other hand, recognition was dawning on Hermione.

        "That will be very difficult," she said doubtfully.  Pansy shrugged, not worried.

        "The way I figure it, after getting wind of Draco's rant yesterday Dumbledore won't be letting us out anytime soon anyway."  Hermione nodded, but Ginny was looking at both older girls confusedly.  

        "Will someone please tell me what's going on?!?" Ginny exclaimed in frustration.  Pansy looked up at her and patted a spot of grass next to her mass of blankets.  Ginny sat down awkwardly, due to the dress, and began to listen as Pansy explained.

--

        "I don't like this!"  Ginny groaned while Pansy took out her heart bobble hair holder.  She threw it to Hermione who caught it and began to twirl it around her finger.  

        "It won't work if one of us does it," Hermione said pointedly.  

        "But –" Ginny started before cutting herself off hopelessly.  

        "But what Weasley?"  Pansy snapped, taking out her wand and pointing it at Ginny's hair.  

        "I just don't think I can do it!" she said.  "And you do you really think he's thick and horny enough to fall for it?"

        "Yes," Hermione and Pansy answered together resolutely.  

        "Fine," Ginny said, defeated.  She sighed heavily and then gasped when her hair felt like a swimming pool was being poured over it.  "What was that?!?"

        "Relax, it's just a Colouring Charm," Pansy replied breezily.  

        "A Colouring Charm?" Ginny squeaked, remembering the fiasco last year when Lavender Brown became Lavender Blonde.  

        "I'm just enhancing the color, not changing it!" Pansy rolled her eyes over the panicked girl's head to Hermione, who bent down to look Ginny in the eye.

        "Look, if you really don't want to do this you don't have to," she said.  Ginny bit her lip, thinking: Malfoy calling Hermione a Mudblood…distributing 'Potter Stinks' badges during the Tournament…revealing in her second year that she had sent the singing valentine to Harry…constantly making jokes about her family's lack of gold…daring to even _think _she'd go out with him…

        "Well?" Pansy asked impatiently, having paused her plan for Ginny's answer.  

        "Keep going, he deserves everything he gets," Ginny said firmly.  Pansy grinned.

        "Good egg- Granger, is this color too dark?"  

--

        One hour later found Pansy and Hermione waiting patiently for Ginny while she changed behind the bushes once again.  Pansy looked over at Hermione who was reading 'Four Spores and Seven Years Ago," no doubt trying to keep up with Herbology.  "If we're going to pull this off we need to really act," Pansy reminded her.  Hermione flipped a page of her book.

        "Yup."

        And if we're going to do this together…" Pansy trailed off uncomfortably, sticking her hand out.  Hermione looked up and shook it.  

        "Agreed."  At that moment, Ginny came out of the bushes, walking stiffly.  Hermione dropped her book in shook when she saw her before laughing.  "Ron's going to have kittens when he sees you Gin!" she said, making Ginny go pale.  

        "I hadn't thought about him!" Ginny moaned, putting her head in her hands.  

        "Forget him Weasley, it's not him that needs to have kittens when he sees you," Pansy said sternly.  Ginny nodded, still a little panic-stricken thinking of her older brother's probable reaction.  "Anyway, you look perfect."  

        "Thanks," said Ginny surprised.  

        "OK, we'll just change and then…" Pansy grinned, "we're going in."  

--

        True to Ginny's assumption earlier, the guys had gotten up earlier.  To their surprise though, the twins had already vanished, but not before leaving a note.  Harry walked over and picked it up, his face dark: how _dare_ they leave now?!?

_Trapped Men-_

_        Dumbledore decided to cut us a break! Convenient eh? I don't think I'd be able to stand another second of Ferret battling our little brother, I've still got a horrendous headache.  I suppose you think that's funny!  Well it is.  Usually it's YOU getting a headache from US.  Anyway, right now George is packing our stuff and we'll be out of here by the time you're up.  As of now you're all sleeping like babies, so I think that's a safe presumption (to use a Percy word).  Don't worry, we'll be sure to fill everyone back at school what's been going on in this train carriage…_

_-Formerly Trapped Fred_

        Harry looked under the writing to see a crude drawing of some stick figures: there was a stick figure with a lightning bolt scar standing next to one with a red face and messy hair.  He fought the urge to laugh when he saw the other stick figures: a very poor attempt at a ferret trying to sneak up a red haired girl's skirt.  The girl was sitting next to a somewhat bushy haired girl, who was reading a book, and there were two huge stick figure people sleeping the corner.  They resembled potato sacks somewhat.  Not far from the ferret and girls, another stick figure was standing with her stick hands on her stick hips, huge lips planted on her face.  Harry tossed the note to Ron biting his lip so that he wouldn't laugh.  Ron skimmed it, obviously still in a bad temper, and grinned at the picture, although the ferret climbing up the skirt didn't seem to register as humorous in his head.  Draco, who had been up long before anyone else, snatched it out of Ron's hands (who scowled angrily) and read it.  The cartoon did not amuse him.  

        "Lucky them," he commented, dropping the note on the floor.  Crabbe and Goyle grunted sleepily and fought over who got to read the note before ripping it in half.  They sat there, bewildered, before shrugging and going back to sleep.  Harry and Ron glared at him briefly and then went back into their corner and opening a deck of Exploding Snap cards.  They didn't invite Draco to play; this gave Draco nothing to do.  Bored, he took out a blank sketchbook he had found in his bags and began to draw.  He smirked when the red haired boy he'd drawn threw himself into the well he had also drawn.  _I could get the hang of this drawing thing, he thought to himself, setting about on drawing a messy black haired boy hanging himself publicly.  _

        Their morning passed without much incident.  Draco drew pages and pages of violent drawings, and then one of a girl's face.  It was a pretty one, with big brown eyes that sparkled.  He dotted the nose lightly with freckles before his quill stopped in horror.  Without another thought he ripped it up and threw it out the window of the carriage.  He watched the pieces fly away with the wind, swirling about each other as if trying to reassemble into the whole.  Harry and Ron played several games of Exploding Snap before taking out the chess set.  Draco had a good snigger at the insults the chessmen threw up at Harry, an obviously poor player.  Grudgingly, Draco admitted to himself that Ron was a good one though; he one every game with strategic moves even Lucius couldn't think up, and he was an excellent player.  Harry and Ron were now playing 'Who Can Lose First?' out of the impending boredom when the door slammed open; someone was back.

--

        Hermione came in wearing dark jeans, her white tank top, a blue hooded sweater and looking exhausted.  "Hullo Ron, Harry."  They looked up and grinned at the sight of another friendly face.

        "Hi Hermione," Ron said, motioning to an empty seat.  Harry grinned at her, and Hermione returned it.  

        "Where's Ginny?" Harry asked frowning, when he noticed no one was with her.  Hermione looked up from looking at the chessboard.  

        "I don't know…we couldn't find her last night."  Ron and Harry looked concerned.  

        "Nowhere?"  Ron asked disbelievingly.  

        "Well it was dark: we called for her but she didn't answer."  She bit on her lip, looking worried.  Draco, who had been listening ever since she came in, was shocked despite himself.  _Weasley went and got herself lost?  Why would she be so stupid as to go wandering somewhere that she doesn't know?  He thought to himself.  Harry got up._

        "We've got to go find her!  Anything could have happened to her by now; remember the bugs?"  Hermione and Ron both shivered from the memories of the bugs.  Ron got up too.

        "Yeah let's go."  Hermione looked alarmed all of a sudden, which puzzled Draco.  A second later the panic was gone from her face, not a trace remaining.  

        "If she doesn't come back in fifteen minutes we'll go," she said, pulling on their shirts.  "Maybe she just needed some time alone."  Harry hesitated, but nodded.  Ron sat down and Harry soon followed.  

        "So you were out there with Parkinson?" Ron asked, sniggering.  Hermione scowled.

        "No, we split up.  She's such a priss, she wouldn't even sleep on the ground.  Honestly, I don't know why we were ever sort of teamed up to begin with.  I saw her making some sort of ridiculous bed thing out of leaves last night; she'll be here soon probably."  Ron and Harry laughed.

        "You must really hate her: your face just went all…"  Ron laughed again.  Hermione rolled her eyes.

        "Well she is rather annoying."  Five minutes went by and the conversation was light: how did you sleep, when do you think we'll get home, etc.  All of a sudden the door slid open again, and a furious Pansy met their eyes, wearing the stained black trousers and a tight green top.

        "I have _never_ slept so badly! Damn bugs everywhere, leaves up my shirt…and something took my trunk!  I found some clothes strewn everywhere but it took most of my good clothes." she shuddered before sitting next to Draco; they could practically see the steam streaming out her ears.  Harry and Ron looked at each other fighting the temptation to laugh, while Draco inched himself away from her carefully.  Unnoticed, Hermione grinned at Pansy and Pansy winked back.  

        "Nice to have you back," Draco said sarcastically.  Pansy glared at him.  

        "I didn't ask you.  I'm still narked with you, so don't get me started!" she said dramatically.  Draco mocked fear.

        "Oh no, Pansy's going to maul me with her nails!" he said, sniggering.  She scowled and sat back against the window.  She had just leaned back when the door slammed open once more, and she jumped from the window in pure shock.  Everyone's jaw dropped.

--

        Ginny had been standing outside the door for a good ten minutes, frozen to the bone.  She was uncomfortable in Pansy's clothes and horribly nervous about what she was about to do.  Pressing her ear to the door she heard 'Oh no, Pansy's going to maul me with her nails!'  Draco.  Ginny gulped and took in a deep breath; this plan could afford no mistakes.  She had to be bold, convincing…very un-Ginny like in other words.  _Maybe if I treat it like a play, she thought desperately, _like at home.  I'm a decent actress; I can pull this off, right?_  _

        _Don't screw this up, she told herself strictly.  __This is for every person Malfoy ever insulted.  Remember that.  Shaking herself of her doubt, she slammed the door open and the charade began._

--

        Everyone blinked to make sure they weren't seeing things.  Ron's face was turning purple from rage.  "Virginia Weasley what are you doing in _leather pants??"  Ginny looked down at the black leather pants in question and shrugged._

        "What are _you _doing in a striped shirt?" she asked, looking him up and down.  Ron narrowed his eyes.  

        "This isn't funny Gin."  He looked back at her outfit in disbelief: black leather pants, a very tight, very low black shirt with tons of silver bracelets jangling about her wrists.  Her red hair was darkened to auburn and put up into a messy bun, little tendrils of ginger hair hanging down, framing her face.  Her lips were darkened as well to a deep cranberry color, her eyelashes thick and black and her lids with eyeliner applied expertly.  Pansy and Hermione chanced a sneak glance at each other; their faces spelled triumph for that one fleeting instant.  Draco was looking completely shell-shocked.

        "I didn't mean for it to be funny," she replied rolling her eyes and leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.  She crossed her legs at the ankle, drawing everyone's attention to her boots.  Pansy sprang into action.

        "You little bitch, you took my clothes!" she shrieked, getting up enraged.  Narrowing her eyes she started charging towards Ginny obviously trying to knock her down or something, but in one instant Harry got up and grabbed Pansy's arm at the same time Ginny sent a forceful spell towards Pansy from the tip of her wand nonchalantly.  A beam of purple light burst from her wand, the power of it knocking both Harry and Pansy onto the floor.  Draco's jaw had yet to be closed.  _This is too much_, he thought wildly, willing himself to close his mouth.  

        "So what if I did?  I didn't bring anything good; I have to say your taste is better than mine was."  Ginny smirked at the two people on the floor, fighting to get up against the spell she had cast.  "Now what do you say?" she asked, twirling her wand between her fingers lazily.  Harry gasped out after getting hit with another purple beam.

        "Sorry! Sorry Gin ok? Just get rid of the spell!" he said angrily.  Ginny shrugged and flicked her wand.  Pansy and Harry collapsed, exhausted from the struggle.  

        "You shouldn't try to fight my spells," she said slyly, straightening up slightly.  "They're pretty powerful when they want to be."

        Ron got up furiously.  "Ginny, cut it out or I'll write to Dumbledore!"  Ginny looked over at him and sneered.  

        "Oh scary," she said sarcastically.  "When did you become Dad Ron?"  At this, Pansy and Draco actually sniggered.  Ginny raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.  

        Ron spluttered, lost for words.  "You're my baby sister!" he burst out finally.  Ginny's eyes narrowed.

        "Not anymore," she replied icily.  Ginny turned to face the rest of the people in the carriage, and Crabbe and Goyle woke up.  Crabbe nudged Goyle.

        "Who's the girl?" he asked Goyle, not bothering to lower his oafish voice.  Goyle shrugged.

        "Dunno, but she's hotter than Pansy."  Pansy rolled her eyes to herself, but scowled for the pretense of being angry.  Harry and Ron laughed and Hermione looked over at Ginny to see how she was doing.  Ginny looked confident under all the makeup, and Hermione breathed easy once again.  Draco reached out his leg and kicked Goyle.  

        "Shut up," he said, not able to quite believe how very stupid they were.  Ginny's head snapped over to look at him.  Draco stared back evenly.  

        "You," she said, voice heavy with bitter hate.  

        "Me," he replied, a little amused at the abrupt personality change.  

        Her face changed from icy to considering.  "You know, it's all thanks to you I had this little reality check," she informed him, gazing at him steadily.  He raised an eyebrow.  

        "Really." It was a statement, not a question.  Somehow, Draco felt that to talk to this new Virginia Weasley he'd have to be as aloof as she was.  

        "Really.  I owe you for that- it's about time someone told me the truth anyway," she said, tracing her wand with her index finger, now lacquered with a blood red nail.  "Everyone always makes it sugar sweet for me for some reason," she said, her voice hard with dislike.  Hermione looked at Ron with big eyes, and he looked stonily back; his baby sister was obviously going through some phase, and he didn't like it one bit.  "But you're pretty straightforward aren't you Draco?" she asked him, staring at him through her lashes.  

        "You could call me that," he said, leaning back in his seat starting to enjoy himself.  It had been a long time since there was a conquest worth conquering, and this girl was proving worthy.  

        "I did- would you?" _Tricky, _he thought, considering this.

        "I wouldn't use that particular word," he said finally.  Ginny looked intrigued.

        "What word would you use?" she asked, coming a little closer.  

        "I wouldn't," he answered, looking her up and down again; it really was unbelievable what some leather pants could do for a wallflower.  Ron meanwhile was silently fuming, noticing the definite chemistry between his sister and enemy.  

        _It's working, it's working! Hermione was thinking joyously, having trouble keeping her face passive.  _

        _Who would've thought she had it in her? Pansy thought admiringly, leaning absently against Harry and watching curiously at what would happen next.  _

--

In Hogwarts, one hundred and twenty students were staring at a screen in complete and utter disbelief.


	9. Meanwhile

        **A/N: Read the chapter before this before reading this chapter!!!**

**-**

        When ten students had failed to show up for the Feast, the assumption was that there was a Death Eater attack.  Of course, there was confusion all around: it was obvious why Death Eaters would attack Harry Potter, his two best friends and some Weasleys, but what people were having trouble believing was that Voldemort's servants would kill Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle and especially Draco Malfoy, all of whom had parents in his Inner Circle.  There was whispering and exclamations as everyone came in to sit and watch the Sorting, which went by very quickly indeed as less students were showing up each year.  After the hat had been taken away with its stool, Dumbledore stood up.  The Hall fell silent.  

        "As you may have already noticed, nine students have been removed from our midst."  His twinkling eyes and cheerful demeanor puzzled people; wouldn't he be very serious if they had died or been captured?  "Granted, there were only supposed to be seven but the fact remains that ten are not here."  The teachers were all looking at him curiously…they obviously had no idea what this was about either.  "I have taken the liberty of trying to make them resolve their differences.  It is probably very apparent that there is a deep rivalry between a certain Slytherin and three Gryffindors."  Everyone in the Hall knew exactly who he was talking about, and were wondering where this would go.  "So, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter are in a train carriage by Norfolk as we speak, trapped."  There was a rustle among the students at the word 'trapped'.  

        "Why the twins sir?" Lee Jordan called out.  He was very put out since his two best friends had failed to show up, and the news that they were now stuck in a train carriage with a bunch of fifth years was almost laughable.  

        Dumbledore smiled.  "They burst in their carriage by pure accident," he said.  "I apologize for that, but they'll be back shortly once I do the proper spells."  

        "Is Ginny there too?" Saffron Patil, the Patil twins' little sister, yelled out.  Dumbledore nodded.

        "She is indeed…I found that she needed some time away from school," he added, eyes glittering with youthful mischief.  Before anyone else could call out he quickly listed the rest.  "So it's Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ronald, Virginia, Fred, George, Vincent, Gregory and Pansy who are out there right now.  I will tell you when someone is to come home, so don't worry- your friends will be returned to you shortly."  Dumbledore attempted to make some other trivial announcements but soon gave up due to the whispers overpowering his voice.  The Feast went by very quickly, and everyone was soon walking up to bed.  

--

        "Do you think they'll be back soon?" Dean asked his best friend Seamus as they climbed the stairs.  Seamus laughed. 

        "Are you pulling my leg?  Them stuck in a carriage with Malfoy?  They won't even be out for graduation!"  Lavender and Parvati were listening in carefully from behind them, and Lavender decided to cut in.

        "Will they have to make up work?" she asked, thinking of Hermione's face when she realized how much work she missed.  Dean shrugged.

        "Search me.  This whole thing is really odd."  The others nodded fervently before splitting up to go to their dorm rooms.  They collapsed in bed, exhausted, with questions floating around in their heads.  It was only 8:00, but everyone was strangely tired.  

--

        The next morning (Saturday), the Gryffindors woke up to a robust 'Good morning fellow students!'  Everyone immediately recognized the voices as the twins' and sprang out of bed.  Lavender and Parvati wrapped their robes around them as they hurried down the steps excitedly.  They ran into Dean and Seamus, who were rubbing their eyes and yawning.

        "It's Fred and George!" Parvati squealed, looking over their heads, and making Dean and Seamus wince.

        "Steady on, do you really need to be that loud?" Seamus asked.  Parvati shoved him.  

        "Shut it you- oh they're going to tell us stuff!"  Parvati and Lavender jumped up and down in anticipation and Dean and Seamus rolled their eyes.

        "You're both nutters," Dean muttered before Fred and George started clapping for people's attention.

        "Dear and kind folk of Hogwarts!" George said theatrically.  

        "We have been through things that only the very strange could think of!" Fred added, making several people laugh.  

        "And we bring you it live into the Gryffindor Common Room!" George proclaimed.  Silence.  Neville looked up at them, confused.

        "You're going to get them all over here for us?" he asked.  Fred and George laughed.

        "No Neville.  Maybe we should start from the beginning?"  Everyone nodded and clapped, trying to get them to tell them the juicy details.  The twins grinned; this was their most enthusiastic audience yet.  "All right," Fred continued.  "Well, we found ourselves trapped in a bloody train carriage in the middle of nowhere."

        "Norfolk!" someone yelled and everyone laughed. 

        "Yes yes, thank you," Fred said, irritated at the interruption.  "Anyway, it was getting pretty tense and all that, and Malfoy-" it was interrupted with boos.  "Yes we all hate the bugger, now will you let me finish?!?"  The Gryffindors shut up, too curious to blow their chance to hear the story firsthand.  "Thank you.  Now, Malfoy was getting rather difficult and so were all the Slytherins in fact so we decided to play a little game.  It all got very boring rather quickly, especially after Malfoy admitted feelings for someone…" Fred stopped, tantalizing the listeners.

        "Who on earth could Malfoy have feelings for besides himself?" Lavender asked, and everyone laughed in appreciation of the joke.  

        "It's a shell shocker.  But if we've done this thing right you should see who it is."  George took out a huge rolled up piece of parchment and opened it dramatically.  Everyone looked at it apprehensively, but it was blank.  

        "What the hell is that?" Dean asked, standing on his toes to see.  

        "Ah, but it's the thing that'll connect us with our unfortunate trapped friends," George replied, tapping the parchment with his wand.  "_Visionarus!" he said importantly, and tiny dots of color started to zoom all over it connecting together.  Hastily, Fred and George started pinning it up; it reached from the ten foot banister to the floor, and was easily twelve feet wide.  Everyone gaped as the dots began to form a picture: a train carriage with five sleeping guys.  Smiles starting popping up everywhere as people started sitting down to watch.  Lee Jordan walked over to the twins._

        "What did you do mates?" he asked curiously, marveling at the parchment screen.  

        "It was simple: there are these things we got over the summer.  Sort of eyes that you can connect with a spell and tack them up places.  We put a few in the train carriage and _voila!" George grinned.  "So basically, we can see everything that goes on in there.  It was getting too good to miss."  Lee patted their backs._

        "Congratulations, it's genius!...but not as genius as this idea."  Lee grinned.  The twins were intrigued.  

        "What are you thinking Lee?" Fred asked curiously.

        "I'm thinking that the other houses will want in on this too," he explained.  "Especially Slytherin, since Malfoy's stuck in there too.  So why not make them pay for it?" Fred and George grinned wide.

        "Bloody brilliant!" George exclaimed.  "Seven Sickles a person, a Galleon for Slytherins," he added happily.  

--

        Half an hour later, the guys on the parchment screen hadn't woken up yet, and people were playing cards to pass the time until they did.  There came a knock on the portrait hole and Fred leapt up to answer it.  "Yes?" he asked through the portrait.

        "We've got the damn money, let us in!" the voice of Blaise Zabini demanded irritably.  People dropped their cards while others raised their eyebrows.  Blaise Zabini was known for her undeniable pride and good looks; what was _she_ doing asking to be let into the Gryffindor Common Room?  Fred swung the portrait open and the Slytherins scrambled in.  Blaise had brought a handful of their friends, who each handed Fred a gold coin.  She looked around the Common Room, surveying it was cold eyes.  "Not too shabby," she said, before sitting down on a vacant chair near the screen.  Her eyes flickered to where the blond was sleeping near the window on it, and she motioned for her friends to join her.  The Gryffindors were appalled.     

        "What are you playing at, letting them in?" Dean hissed to Fred.  Fred shrugged.

        "Well we'll change the password after they leave- besides, the money's good," he added, showing him the coins.  Dean scowled.  

        "They'd better be ok, or I'm hexing them senseless, got it?"  Fred gave him a smart salute.  

        "Yes sir!" 

--

        Over the next ten minutes, the students of Hogwarts were streaming in.  Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws found their friends quickly in the crowd while the brooding Slytherins skulked to the corner Blaise had made temporarily theirs.  It wasn't fifteen minutes before the place was packed with every single student in the school.  Fred and George were ecstatic; the money kept rolling in.  

        "Let the games begin!" George muttered as the Draco on the screen came to life.  He opened his eyes slowly, making everyone in the room fall quiet as they watched; it was so much better than doing homework!  Draco sat up and glared in the direction of Harry and Ron.  The Slytherins laughed.  They continued to watch him scowl, glare, snarl and generally be malicious towards the sleeping Gryffindors.  It was no surprise to the students, who weren't expecting him to change a whit no matter what Dumbledore said.

        Harry and Ron woke up.  Some girls starting giggling shrilly when they saw Harry sleepily put on his glasses and look around.  Ron looked like he was thinking about getting up but fell heavily back onto his jumper and fell asleep.  There was lots of laughter at this.  Two minutes later though, he woke up again and winced as the sun went in his eyes.  One hundred and twenty pairs of eyes followed Harry as he picked up the note the twins had left.  

        "We left that," George informed the curious viewers as Harry started to read.  George muttered something and the image zoomed in on the note.  Everyone read it and laughed, but was puzzled by the picture.

        "Nice drawing Weasley," Zabini drawled, and her friends laughed unpleasantly.  

        "Thank you," Fred said, bowing.  Harry handed the note to Ron and he laughed too, but looked distinctly angry about something. "Must've seen the ferret," Fred mumbled to his twin.  

        "What's eating Ron?" Seamus asked, looking closer.  George zoomed off the note and the view was normal again.

        They watched Draco read the letter and then toss it, and Crabbe and Goyle rip it.  As Harry and Ron played Exploding Snap, so did some people in the audience, waiting for something interesting to happen.  Most people, however, were watching Draco draw curiously.  Due to where the 'eyes' had been placed, they couldn't see what he was drawing.  This caused some resentment among the spectators, but Fred and George covered it up with some jokes.  They watched him rip up a picture and throw it out the window.  "Interesting," Blaise commented to herself in a low whisper.  

        The door slammed open and Hermione was on the screen.  She didn't look too bad besides exhausted, and she talked with Harry and Ron a little about how annoying Pansy is before watching them play chess.  A couple minutes later, Pansy stormed in, making everyone laugh at her clear utter rage.  "I have _never_ slept so badly! Damn bugs everywhere, leaves up my shirt…and something took my trunk!  I found some clothes strewn everywhere but it took most of my good clothes." The laughter echoed around the room.

        "Good old Pansy, always worrying about the looks," Blaise said dryly, making everyone laugh again.  

        "An animal took her clothes? Classic!" Dean said, wiping his eyes of mirth.  Lavender and Parvati nodded, giggling.  

        "Nice to have you back," Draco commented sarcastically, reminding everyone that he was still an ass as usual.  

        "I didn't ask you.  I'm still narked with you, so don't get me started!" Pansy said, glaring at him.  Shocked, everyone turned to the twins.

        "Oh yeah, there was a fight last night and Pansy got pissed at him," George explained, shrugging.  Indefinitely curious, they turned back to watch.

        "Oh no, Pansy's going to maul me with her nails!" Draco mocked, making the laughter come again.

        "This is too good," Seamus said, laughing.  "Something has _got to go wrong!"  His prediction came true when they watched the train door open and Ginny Weasley came in.  _

--

        "Who is that?" Blaise asked into the silence, squinting at the leather clad girl.  The guys were whistling appreciatively, the girls trying to figure out who it was.  George broke the silence, sounding almost identical to Ron.

        "It's Ginny! What is she _doing?" he asked no one in particular furiously.  Jaws dropped everywhere simultaneously with the people on the screen.  "Leather pants! Mum'll throw a fit if she finds out."_

        "And what is that…_gunk on her eyes?" Fred asked, looking closely at the screen.  "Her eyes are so __weird now!"  Blaise turned around from her imperial perch on her chair.  _

        "She's up to something," she said to George.  "How will your Mum find out? And it's eyeliner," she informed Fred.  Turning back around, a small grin was on her face.  _That's Pansy's work, I'd know it anywhere, now what are they up to?_  

        People shushed them so that they could hear what Ron was yelling now.  "Virginia Weasley what are you doing in _leather pants??_" Normally people would laugh at that, but it was silent; Ginny Weasley? 

        Ginny shrugged.  "What are _you _doing in a striped shirt?" There was a scattering of applause: stripes _really didn't work for Ron.  Neville laughed suddenly._

        "Look at Malfoy's face! He can't shut his gob!" he said laughing.  Eyes turned to the blond, and crinkled up in laughter; he really did look completely gobsmacked.  

        "This isn't funny Gin," Ron was saying disapprovingly.  

        "I didn't mean for it to be funny," Ginny replied, leaning against the doorframe.  A few guys whistled again, only to be cut short by the protective, but alarmed, glares of the twins.  

        "You little bitch, you took my clothes!" Pansy suddenly yelled, making everyone jump.  Everyone laughed as she tried to charge down Ginny.  

        "She's really mad isn't she?" Seamus asked, meaning 'insane', not 'angry'.  Dean nodded laughing.  

        There was a collective gasp as Ginny lazily set a purple beam at her, and Harry who had unwisely decided to intervene.  "That's a really difficult spell," whispered Padma Patil to her twin.  "I'd know it anywhere- a very complicated shield spell."  Parvati nodded, enthralled with the screen.  

        As Draco visibly fought to shut his mouth, Ginny was saying "So what if I did?  I didn't bring anything good; I have to say your taste is better than mine was."  

        "Oh there's _definitely something up," Blaise muttered to herself._

         "Now what do you say?" Ginny asked the two people on the floor.

        "Sorry! Sorry Gin ok? Just get rid of the spell!" Harry said angrily.  His admirers cheered, while those who didn't like him booed.  It was like a Muggle move theater with a very involved audience.

        "You shouldn't try to fight my spells.  They're pretty powerful when they want to be," Ginny said, straightening up. 

        "I have a feeling she's not just talking about her wand," Dean said impishly, and as a result got cuffed over the head with one of the twin's books.

         "Ginny, cut it out or I'll write to Dumbledore!" Ron bellowed.  The sound hurt everyone's ears, and they groaned in protest.

        "Turn the bloody thing down Weasley!" Millicent Bulstrode yelled.  Fred, wincing at the decibel level, obliged.

        In an uncanny impression of Malfoy, Ginny sneered.  "Oh scary.  When did you become Dad Ron?"  Although shocked at her daring, everyone was inwardly impressed at the change.  

        Along with the audience, Pansy and Draco laughed.  "You're my baby sister!" Ron protested.  Fred and George nodded firmly together like bobbleheads.  

        "Not anymore," Ginny replied, with all the warmth of December.  Crabbe and Goyle woke up, bringing everyone's attention to them.  

        "Who's the girl?" Crabbe grunted to Goyle.  

        "Dunno, but she's hotter than Pansy," Goyle replied in his troll-like manner.  Everyone laughed.  

        "Bet Pansy's not happy about that," Seamus said, chortling along with Harry and Ron on the screen.

        "Shut up," Draco said to them, kicking Goyle with his foot.  An increased interest spread through the room like an epidemic.  

        "You," Ginny said, the disgust evident in her voice.  

        "Me," Draco replied.  

        "You know, it's all thanks to you I had this little reality check," Ginny said.  Having no knowledge of the fight, the Hogwarts students were perplexed; what on _earth _could Draco have done to make her dress so…so _Pansy_?

        "Really."

        "Really.  I owe you for that- it's about time someone told me the truth anyway," she replied, making the twins scowl darkly.

        "What is she on about?" Fred breathed angrily.

        "Starting not to like this," George said evenly under his breath.  His other half agreed.

        "Do I feel an accidental technical error coming on?" he asked.

        "You do indeed," George replied grinning.

        "Everyone always makes it sugar sweet for me for some reason," Ginny was saying.  "But you're pretty straightforward aren't you Draco?"

        "You could call me that," Draco said leaning back.  

        "I did- would you?" 

        "Ron's going to have a heart attack," Lavender whispered to Parvati.  Overhearing this, Dean laughed.  

        "You could cut the sexual tension in that carriage with a knife," he said, making Seamus snort with laughter.

        "I wouldn't use that particular word," Draco replied to Ginny.

        "What word would you use?" Ginny asked coyly.

        "I wouldn't," Draco said, staring her down.  There was a silence on both ends before Blaise Zabini declared, "So Draco Malfoy likes the Weasley.  Charming."  Everyone stared at the display in complete astonishment.  

        All of a sudden the image disappeared.  There were curses and groans filling the air.  "Sorry folks!" George said breezily.  "Show's over, go to breakfast!"  Blaise stood up, her wand in hand.  

        "Kick us out then Weasley, but you give me one reason to blast you into little pieces and I swear I'll do it," Blaise said, utterly annoyed at the interruption.  

        "A threat.  Charming," George said in an impression of Blaise.  Angrily, she walked out the portrait hole, and the Slytherins silently followed.  Not far behind were the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, who quickly said goodbye to their friends and departed whispering to each other about what they saw.  The Gryffindors soon went their own separate ways, getting dressed and ready for the day.  Fred and George were left by themselves in the Common Room with the huge piece of parchment.

        "I reckon that when Mal-ferret comes back he'll find himself mysteriously transformed into a puddle of green goo," George said lightly, although his face turned dark.   

        "Right there with you mate."  The twins rolled up the parchment and threw it in the fire.  They watched it burn and then went up the stairs to the dorm room.

        "So what should the new password be?"


	10. Didn't Think So

        **A/N: **I had a really hard time with this chapter, mainly because I tried to make it all seem believable.  But somewhere after the fourth page I just gave up so forgive me if it's OOC. Please, _please review if you read this, I'm finding out more and more everyday that people read this and I never know.  _

**Shameless Plug of the Week: **My future fic, (also D/G if you want more) 'Too Late', has six chapters and I think 12 reviews. I love this fic a lot, but I would love for some more comments.  If you could just have a look see? *pleading puppy eyes* Please?? 

lol, onwards!

--

        "All right, enough with the…just enough," Hermione said, standing up.  Ginny and Draco looked at her, both looking annoyed that she had interrupted.  "Ginny, what's wrong with you?"  Ginny laughed, a cold laugh that didn't match her fiery hair and previously warm personality.  

        "You mean what _was wrong with me," she said, making it quite clear that the subject was closed.  Hermione sighed, brushing her hair out of her eyes, and sat down.  _

        "Just leave her alone, she'll snap out of it soon," Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron.  "I'll look in my books to see if it's a spell."  They nodded and Hermione cracked open a book.  Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back to Draco.

        "I need to talk to you," she said simply.  He raised an eyebrow.

        "Ok. Talk."

        "Alone." Ron looked up sharply.

        "I am NOT about to let you go off with _him alone," he said with great disgust.  Ginny glared at him._

        "Relax, I'm not about to snog him.  In fact, I very well may curse him, so keep your gob shut," she replied.  Draco was interested, however hard he tried to disguise it.

        "Curse me?  I highly doubt it," he said smirking.  She smirked right back.

        "Don't be so sure of yourself," she warned him pointedly.  

        "Fine.  We'll talk.  But not now," he agreed, opening his sketchbook again.  Ginny tilted her head.

        "Why not?"

        "Because I don't want to," he replied bluntly.  She shrugged and sat next to Harry. 

        "Whatever."  Ginny sighed in annoyance, tapping her boot against a beam.  Harry looked at her strangely.  She noticed his worried glance.  "Not you too! Come on, I thought you'd be okay with this at least," she said, pleading with huge brown eyes.  

        "It's just not like you Ginny," he replied, his voice troubled.  "I don't know what's up with you."  Ginny grinned impishly.

        "Well that's just half the fun!" she said giggling all of a sudden.  "No one knows what I'll do next!"  Meeting the skeptical looks of the people around her, she took out her wand.  "Look, I'll prove it.  You don't know if I'll do this-" Harry suddenly sprouted a magnificent mustache, "or this-" Hermione sprouted rabbit ears, "or this-" Draco suddenly had half his face painted in maroon, half in gold, "or th-" Harry grabbed her wand arm, now looking more angry than concerned.  

        "Change us back," he said in a low, dangerous voice.  Ginny laughed again.  

        "Come off it, yours and his," she jerked her head towards the now enraged Draco (decked out in Gryffindor colors), "are completely fixable.  All he needs is some water and you just need a razor."  With a flick of her wand Hermione's ears were gone.  

        "Thank you," Hermione said stiffly, sounding disapproving and annoyed.

        Ginny mocked a curtsey.  "Yeah well, I knew if I didn't do it I'd have to look at you like that for the next hour or so."  Draco turned to look at himself in the window and nearly had a heart attack.

        "Get this…this _filth off of me!" he said wildly, trying to smear it but finding it impossible. _

        "Oh oops- it has an Unsmearable Charm on it," she said giggling now.   Pansy was looking at her with admiration.

        "You know Weasley," she said getting up, "I may have underestimated you."

        "Now that's a shocker," Ginny muttered.

        "Shut up, I'm giving you a compliment," Pansy said, narrowing her eyes.  "Just don't go rooting through my clothes next time! Conjure your own, you certainly seem capable."  Ginny shrugged.

        "Yeah I probably am," she reasoned, looking down at her wand happily.  Draco, fuming, took out his wand and mumbled something.  Silver and green replaced the maroon and gold.  

        "An improvement, but Unsmearable Paint nonetheless," he commented dryly.  Hermione looked over and laughed, joined in by Ron.

        "I must remember this," Ron exclaimed, grinning.  For the moment, it looked like he had forgotten about his sister in the way he was sniggering at Malfoy.  Draco, fuming, turned from the group so that his back was facing them.

        "No fun," Ginny whined.  "You didn't even curse or anything!"  She sounded like a bored child wanting live entertainment.  Meanwhile, Hermione was rooting frantically through her books, although in reality all she was doing was flipping through the pages randomly.  Suddenly Draco turned around, his eyes narrowed at the smirking redhead across from him.  

        "What is this Weasley?  You just woke up this morning and decided to completely change?"  he asked, sounding menacing and icy as winter frost.  For the first time since her grand entrance, Ginny looked unsure of herself.  

        "I-I just…" she faltered, holding the heart pendant of her necklace with her fingers anxiously.  Pansy and Hermione's eyes widened as they tried desperately to telepathically tell her to buck up even though they knew it was impossible to get in her head like that.  Ginny took a deep breath; everyone waited.  "I'm fucking sick and tired of being treated like a three year old! 'Oh Ginny, you can't do that' or 'Oh Ginny, let Mummy plait your hair' or even 'Oh Ginny, you know you can't stay out late it's _dangerous out there!'.  It's crap, and if this is the only way I can let them see I'm _14 _then so be it."  Hermione and Pansy tried to conceal their surprise.  That was one rant that Ginny had come up with completely on her own.  Draco merely shrugged and turned back around._

        "I figured," Ron said after a pause.  "But you know Gin, if you'd just get back into jeans and trainers then I think I'd be in favor of more recognition," he offered, looking desperate to get his sister back to the way she was.  Ginny narrowed her eyes.

        "Do you want rabbit ears?  I didn't think so."  Five minutes went by with no sounds but Pansy humming, Hermione flipping pages and Draco sketching with his quill.  It seemed as though everyone was thinking very hard about the recent events; this year was nothing like they thought it would be.

--

        Draco didn't know what was going on: first the Weaslette comes swaggering in leather, then Pansy was quiet for an entire fifteen minutes, and then the redhead had dragged him outside to 'talk and curse him senseless'.  "The only reason I'm out here's because it's making your brother furious," Draco drawled, sitting on the grass.  Ginny shrugged.

        "As long as you're out here," she replied, sitting across from him Indian style.  Draco smirked when he saw her slightly wince at the tightness of the leather pants.  

        "Leather isn't something to be taken lightly little girl," he remarked, looking at her with interest as her brown eyes seemed to lose their warmth and sparkle instantly.  The new image, although unsettling to the stomach, was intriguing…Draco felt like he could get used to it.  

        "Let me just get this straight- I hate you," she informed Draco. 

        "Well most people do," he said.  

        "- and don't give a fig's wrinkles about what you think of me," she continued, pretending not to have heard his interruption.  

        "Then what is the point of this?" he asked impatiently, leaning back on his elbows looking bored.  _Jesus Christ this girl is persistent, _he thought angrily.

        _Jesus Christ this guy is obnoxious, _Ginny was thinking.  _This is ridiculous, I can't believe Hermione and Pansy talked me into this, what on earth am I thinking?!? _"I can't do this!" she burst out unintentionally, meaning to keep it to herself.  Draco fell, surprised at the outburst. 

        "God Weasley, what's your problem?" Ginny gulped and shook herself internally.

        "You," she replied simply, trying to sound slightly seductive.  Truth is, she had absolutely no expertise in that area as the only date she'd ever been on (if you could call it that) was the Yule Ball with Neville.  Seduction just doesn't play a part on a date with Neville.  Point in fact is that with Draco it did: and it worked.  

        "Me," he repeated, not sounding surprised.  

        "You plague my thoughts," Ginny said softly, trying to remember the speech Pansy had recited for her earlier.   It was a battle she was determined to win.  

        "Excuse me?" Draco asked, taken aback.  

        "You heard me," Ginny shot at him, gleeful because Pansy had anticipated his reaction down to every last detail and had worked it into the speech.  _This won't be as hard as I thought, Ginny thought to herself happily, trying to ignore the voice screaming 'THIS CAN'T END WELL YOU FOOL!' "I can't get you out of my head."  This put a Muggle tune into her head that Hermione sang to herself sometimes, and this annoyed Ginny, but she barreled on.  "It's like…it's like everything I was ever warned against wants to take over, and you're at the top of the list.  Invading my blood…my mind…my heart."  Draco was as pale as a picket fence at this point.  _

        "OK Weasel, this is creepy enough as it is," he said motioning to her outfit.  Ginny, thinking very hard of all the people he had hurt, inched closer to him.

        "Maybe," she said, "but isn't that what makes it interesting?"  Becoming increasingly perplexed and edgy, Draco found himself rooted to the grass in a very un-Malfoy manner.  Malfoys are never speechless, but if one had to describe his state then it would be just that.  "Come on, don't tell me you never thought about it- Sneakoscopes never lie."  

        "I-"

        "Shh…" Ginny cut in, putting (a very nervous) finger on his lips.  Calming herself frantically, she took in a deep breath and brought her lips down to his.

        Much to Draco's shock and dislike, the kiss was gentle and warm.  He found himself wanting more, wanting to be holding her as she kissed him.  _Oh what the hell_, he thought wildly, and began to respond to it.  Ginny's eyes widened, unknown to Draco whose were closed, and then hid a smile: that was what she needed.  She pulled away and a true malicious twinkle was in her eyes.  

        "Yeah right," she whispered venomously, although really quite unable to believe what she had done.  "Do you really think you'd ever have a chance with me?" With one jaw drop of Draco's and a triumphant smirk of Ginny's, she sauntered back into the train carriage.  "Mission accomplished," she muttered to herself as she slammed the door behind her.  Pansy and Hermione looked up with a start, and grins appeared on their faces.

        "Well?" Hermione asked, unable to suppress the curiosity.  

        "What?" Harry asked, looking at the three girls in confusion.  Ron looked equally puzzled.  

        Ginny shrugged and grinned, wiping her hand on her mouth.  "I did what I had to do."  Pansy jumped up and, much to Ron and Harry's astonishment, gave her a huge hug.  

        "We finally put him in his place!  Well done you," she squealed.  Laughing, Hermione got up and joined the hug.  

        "What in the bloody blazes-" Ron began, but as cut off by Hermione.  

        "This time it won't just be a flippant remark from one of them," Hermione nodded towards Ron and Harry grinning.  Everyone looked at her confusedly. 

        "Flippant Hermione?" Harry asked.  

        "Offhand, facetious," Hermione absently explained, sitting next to them.

        "Facetious?" Ron looked even more puzzled.

        "Teasing, not se- oh never mind."  

        "So what exactly did you do Ginny?" Harry asked, the expression of confusion still evident on his face.  Ginny squirmed uncomfortably, noticing the stickiness of the leather to the seats with distaste.  

        "Nothing special."  Ron looked like he didn't believe this, but it was Harry whose eyes widened in epiphany.  

        "Oh no," he began but Ginny cut him off, blushing furiously.

        "It's no big deal, I'll use Listerine when we get to Hogwarts or something."  Harry shook his head disapprovingly. 

        "Ginny, you really shouldn't have done that…and you _agreed _to this Hermione?" he asked incredulously.  

        "What's Listerine?" Ron asked, getting more and more frustrated by the minute.

        "Mouthwash," Hermione explained, before clamping her hand over her mouth.  Ginny groaned.

        "Thank Hermione," she said, putting her head in her hands.  Ron's blue eyes, normally jolly, turned into two twin pools of disgust.

        "You let the foul-that foul _thing put his- oh I can't even say it," Ron moaned.  _

        "But it worked! He's miserable I swear!" Ginny squeaked, trying unsuccessfully to hide behind a broadly smirking Pansy (thoroughly amused at the show of brother protectiveness) and also attempting to quell the rising guilt within her.  

        But she wasn't just feeling guilty about kissing a Malfoy- she was miserable for hurting someone that badly.

--

        "Fucking _tramp," Draco hissed angrily after Ginny had slammed the train door.  "That no good fucking __tease!" he growled, clenching his hands into fists.  No one, __especially a harmless Weasley pest, made Draco Malfoy look that bad.  No doubt it would be all over school that Draco had kissed little Ginny Weasley, and no one would blame __her because they'd think he forced himself upon her.  No one would believe him if he said "But it was the other way around I swear!" _

        He sighed and put his hands in his pockets.  It wouldn't even be that _bad if she had got up and left without making any sort of impression; for example, if Pansy had done the same, he wouldn't give a fuck.  But somehow, in some weird way, when Ginny Weasley slammed the door she had slammed something hard and painful into Draco's chest.  Somewhere above his stomach, but he couldn't quite locate it.  And he didn't like it._

--


	11. Leaden Guilt

**A/N: **First off, _WOW_ I got so many reviews for Chapter 10! That was amazing…keep it up! :) So sorry for not updating sooner!  This chapter is NOT long at all (it's transitional- I'm sorry, I've been really busy all week!), and I apologize, but this means that the next one will be very long.  Oh, and thank those who reviewed the story I plugged- I have another one for you! Ha, I'm never not writing…this time, it's a pairing even _more _unusual than D/G (at least _I _think)- Ron/Pansy.  Check out **'Truly Whipped' if you want a fic that's pretty much the same style/genre as this one. **

        Be warned- this chapter is angsty.

**Leaden Guilt**

--

        Ginny sat with her arms across her chest uncomfortably, now having become aware of just how tight the top was.  Pansy looked over at her and raised an eyebrow.  "Having fun there Weasley?" Ginny glared.

        "Couldn't I have done this in normal clothes?" she whined, plucking at the t-shirt in irritation.  Hermione and Pansy shrugged in unison.  

        "We didn't want to risk it not working," Hermione explained carefully.  Ginny turned this over in her mind- knowing Hermione, she was probably terrified of making a fatal mistake.  In _any instance._

        "I still hate the leather," Ginny mumbled grumpily, making the others laugh.  Except for Ron.

        "Virginia Louise Weasley…" he began, but surprisingly it was Hermione who cut him off.

        "She didn't sleep with him, for heaven's sake Ron!" she snapped.  Ron merely glared, not put off by the abruptness of her interruption in the slightest.  

        "You _used_ my little sister!  I don't care who against, even if it's Malfoy…honestly Hermione, that's not like you at all.  That was just plain…blimey Hermione, what were you thinking? Get Malfoy where it hurts, like he does to us?"  Hermione sat, jaw hanging open slightly, absorbing the blunt statement her best friend had thrown at her.

        And it was perfectly true.  Ashamed, she looked across at Ginny, who had curled up into herself, hugging her knees and chewing on a chunk of hair worriedly while looking out the window.  Hermione looked at Pansy, and was surprised to see a similar look of awkwardness as Hermione felt deep inside.  Harry was looking somberly through his glasses at Ginny and Hermione, concern etched into every feature of his face.  Hermione sighed. 

        "You're right," she said quietly.  Ron jumped and then raised a red eyebrow.

        "I'm what, sorry?"

        _Oh, it's just like him to milk this up for all it's worth! _Hermione thought bitterly as she repeated herself.  "You're right.  We were stupid.  We should've just hexed him or something."  Ginny looked up slowly from her knees.

        "I didn't want to hurt him like that," she said softly.  Ron looked even more surprised at that than at Hermione admitting she was wrong.  Ginny, seeing this expression, hastily explained.  "I don't want to hurt _anyone like that- granted, I love to act, but not if it will end up like this did."  _

        There was silence; it was shattered by Pansy abruptly getting up and leaving, slamming the door behind her. 

--

        Draco sat on the grass, contemplating his position.  It was bad.  Possibly, it had never been worse.  All of his school enemies had major blackmail on him now, and there really wasn't a blasted thing he could do about it.  His musings were interrupted by someone sitting next to him. 

        "Oh sod off Parkinson, I'm betting you were in on it too."  Pansy didn't deny or reply to this; she just twirled a grass blade between her hands and looked thoughtful.  Draco rolled his eyes and looked back over the gray and green English landscape.  Although it was incredibly drab, there was something beautiful about the cloudy colors that made Draco and Pansy think of Hogwarts- silver and green.

        "You are a prick."  Draco almost had to convince himself he wasn't dreaming when he heard Pansy say that.  

        "Excuse me?  _I'm _not the one who bandied up with Granger and Weasley and wrapped them in leather, was I?" Pansy shrugged, but didn't look at him when she responded with a slightly shaky voice.

        "No.  But you're the one who sneered at Ron when he had tattered robes. You're the one who laughed when his father was persecuted for his curiosity.  You're the one who smirked when you found out about Ginny and the diary.  You're the one who called Hermione a Mudblood, when she's got twice the intelligence you'll ever have.  You're the one that taunted Potter about something that should have never happened to him, and wasn't his fault.  You're the one, Draco, who's made dozens of people miserable…and you're _proud _of it."  

        Draco sat in complete shock.  Pansy Parkinson had just told him off, and it hurt.  Where Ginny had stabbed him in the heart, Pansy stabbed him in the back, and in the ego.  The one person on this blasted train carriage whom he thought wouldn't go all Holier Than Thou on him had just called him _arrogant!  Her words cut deep, because Draco knew every word was completely true, so there was no way he could deny it.  He _had _found Ron's robes extremely amusing, and when his father had had an Inquiry Draco had wasted no time in showing the article to Crabbe and Goyle.  When Lucius had relayed to him the semi-triumphant tale of how he had slipped Tom Riddle's diary into tiny Ginny Weasley's dilapidated book, he had laughed at her stupidity.  That same year was the first time he called Granger a Mudblood, a term that he used as loosely as his smirk.  And last year on the train…Potter's face when he had accused him of killing Cedric was one he gloated over all summer.  Draco didn't feel remotely proud of himself now.  In fact, he felt nauseated and disgusted with himself._

        But he just looked over at Pansy and said coldly, "You forgot 'shamelessly used pathetic girl.'" Pansy's eyes welled up with tears, and she bit her lip and got up, walking away to the back of the train carriage.  Draco didn't let himself watch as she leaned against the train carriage and started to cry; the scene was all too familiar.

--

        The only time Ginny had been so ashamed of herself was the year Tom Riddle has possessed her; however, every adult she ever encountered that knew of it told her it wasn't her fault, she had no chance in preventing it.  Being the trusting girl she was, she believed them with all her heart, and tried to move on with her life and fall into the normal pattern of being a teenager- school, Harry, friends.  But this prank…she had control over that.  She could have stopped it from the very start, stomped it out with her scuffed out, perfectly comfortable sneaker.  But she hadn't, had she?  The silence in the train carriage rang through her ears as if Peeves was yelling in her ear, but instead of the mischievous prankster in her ear she heard herself, screaming at her foolishness.

--

        Hermione sat next to Ron, dumbfounded.  How _could she have been so stupid?  Blimey…she had agreed with Pansy Parkinson, of all people!, to use Ginny to get at Draco.  Through his heart.  When sounded out in her mind, she couldn't see why she hadn't seen how badly it could end from the start.  Of course, at the time it seemed like a stroke of genius; Draco's mocking 'Mudblood' pulsed in her head like a bad headache she couldn't shake.  Slapping him in third year had temporarily paused the frustration she held penned up inside, but as was expected it came back again full force.  Especially after he had said those horrid things to Harry about Cedric; poor Harry had been so confused that he didn't need a huge git like Malfoy to come along and perplex him further with visions of Death Eaters floating about in his head._

        But any way Hermione looked at it, she couldn't get rid of the impending feeling of guilt; it sat in her stomach like a lead ball of poison.

--

        Ron was livid.  Hermione, one of his best friends, had _used his little sister in the worst way possible to an older brother- her body.  It was a protective older brother's worst nightmare…well, except of course for a mammoth giant snake being her lapdog while under the influence of the darkest wizard in the world's memory.  Ron shook with anger when he thought of Ginny forcing herself to put her lips on that vile creature, whose family symbolized all that he hated with a passion.  Death Eaters were bad enough in themselves, but their spawn were bound to be three times as ambitious, twice as power hungry._

        Besides, the words 'Ginny' and 'leather' didn't belong in the same _universe _let alone the same sentence.  

--

        Harry stared blankly at the three in front of him, turning over everything in his mind slowly like a chicken roasting on a spit.  He still didn't quite understand it, but there was one thing he understood and therefore grasped onto: Ginny had _snogged _Malfoy.  The albino bane of his existence at the moment, had touched Ron's pure sister.  Harry looked over at Ginny, now silently looking out the window, and his vision clouded over with gray as if he were looking through incredibly dirty lenses.  She wasn't the same Ginny he thought of anymore.  She wasn't the sweet, innocent girl who followed him around and blushed practically on command.  He didn't know what to think of her now.

--

        Pansy shook violently as she cried, feeling the thick mascara slide down her cheeks, making little black veins.  She didn't even try to wipe them away as she let all her emotions out in the unstained water that poured from her eyes like a waterfall.  It wasn't everyday that you get to be in the presence of Hogwarts' bravest, Hogwarts' smartest, Hogwarts' most loyal, or even its most mean-spirited or sweetest.  Pansy miserably tried to think of where she stood- certainly not bravest.  If she was brave, she'd be out there still talking to Draco.  In her opinion, if she was Hogwarts' smartest then the school was in big trouble.  Most loyal?  She had just turned a young girl against a guy she had known for seven years, three prior to school.  Draco was, without a doubt, the most mean spirited, and Ginny was perhaps the sweetest girl Pansy had ever known.  It confused her.

        Where did she stand?  Hogwarts' Sluttiest?  Hogwarts' Most Wicked?  Or Hogwarts' Most Cowardly, unable to fight her own battles, and making others suffer for her?


	12. Glass Surface

****

A/N: Wow, it's been over a month…I am SO sorry for this delay! My computer crashed and I have to use my sister's now- but I'm sure you don't want the grisly details. You're all going GIVE ME THE STORY DAMMIT! So here's the story!

---

It was the most silent of silences that Hermione had ever experienced in her life. No one even tapped their fingers against the polished wood of the train carriage windowsills, or even breathed loudly. It was torture. Breathing in deeply, she stood up resolutely and looked at them all sternly. "If you want to sit here, thinking of all the 'what-ifs' and 'why-didn't-I's', you're more than welcome. _I'm _going to carry on. What's done is done and frankly, if it gives Malfoy that reality slap he's been begging for then I don't see why we should dwell on it." When she uttered her first syllable, all the people around her had jumped in complete surprise. Breaking the silence is often shocking, at best.

Harry, to their surprise, grinned and stood up too. "You're right…of course," he added cheekily. Hermione rolled her eyes, but fondly, relieved she had an ally on the issue. "Who's up for some Butterbeer?" Ron stirred.

"Since when have we had Butterbeer?" he asked quickly, scrambling to get up and find it. Harry nodded towards the corner of the carriage where, sure enough, there lay a seemingly huge carton of glass bottles. Ron's jaw dropped in delight.

"Wicked!" He ran over to the corner and grabbed a bottle excitedly, before seeing the others' amused expressions. "Want one?" he offered sheepishly, holding up one. Hermione and Harry immediately walked over to get one, but Ginny shook her head and watched as Ron doled them out. Suddenly, a huge flash of yellow light came from the corner, where Crabbe and Goyle were sleeping. "Holy Agrippa!" Ron yelled, shielding his eyes and dropping his Butterbeer. The next instant, the light was gone, Ron's bottle was smashed and the two in question were nowhere to be seen.

Harry sighed and popped open his Butterbeer. "I reckon Dumbledore gave up on them," he said matter-of-factly. His friends laughed appreciatively, even Ginny who had been the quietest out of all of them. They all stared at the spot where, moments before, Crabbe and Goyle had lain. 

"Ah well. No big loss," Ron said abruptly, downing the rest of his Butterbeer and tossing it idly where they had been. It smashed with a soft 'tinkle', making Hermione wrinkle her nose in disapproval. "Sorry Hermione," he said, seeing the gesture. 

"I'll just clean it up," she replied waving her wand firmly. The mess was soon cleared up, revealing a shiny patch of hardwood floor. Harry shook his head chuckling; Hermione could do anything with magic if she wanted to. Meanwhile, Ron chugged some more Butterbeer while staring, as if in a trance, at the large mirror at one end of the train.

"Did anyone else notice a mirror there?" he asked suddenly. Harry and Ginny shrugged uninterestedly, but Hermione walked forward with her wand in hand, looking at it curiously. 

"No, I didn't," she replied frowning after a couple minutes. "When did that get here?"

"Same time as the appearing Butterbeer maybe," Ron said with a hint of annoyance, looking over at Harry. 

Harry rolled his eyes. "Give it up! You have it, you're drinking it, so why do you care how it got here?" he said taking a sip. Ron shrugged.

"Good point."

"Back to the mirror?" Hermione cut in in irritation. Ron started.

"What? Oh yeah!" He turned back to it; it stared back blankly with its glassy surface. "Looks like your standard mirror to me."

"So did the Mirror of Erised," Harry interrupted, getting up and looking at it, now more intrigued. 

"What's the Mirror of Erised?" Ginny asked suddenly. The three looked at each other uneasily.

"Just a mirror," Ron said quickly. Ginny narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything more. 

"Let's see…" Hermione cautiously put a steady hand to it and poked it. It was as if molten silver encased her finger. The mirror quickly molded it around her now shaking finger and, without warning, sucked her in. Hermione was gone.

--

"I kill Draco Malfoy…I _don't _kill Draco Malfoy…I kill Draco Malfoy…" Pansy moodily plucked crisp white petals from the daisy she was holding in her hand. The last petal fell to the ground as she said in disbelief, "I don't kill Draco Malfoy." There was a pause- "Oh what does a bloody flower know anyway?!?" Angrily, she threw the daisy to the ground and fumed as she watched it lie innocently in the dirt. "I've always hated daisies. Thank God I'm Pansy and not Daisy," she mused quietly, tearing up a grass blade with her nails. Having taken many long, deep breaths and imagining Draco being repeatedly pummeled with Crabbe and Goyle's gargantuan fists, Pansy was feeling a tad better. After a moment's hesitation, she peeked her head around the corner of the train carriage and bit her lip at the sight of him. From where she was sleeping, the sleeping boy looked for all the world like an angel at rest, with his blond hair swept across his brow. She almost felt amicable towards him…

Almost.

--

"Hermione!" Ron yelped, looking in horror at where the mirror had silently and efficiently stitched itself up after devouring the girl. "Where the hell did she go?" He reached out frantically to tap the glass but Harry grabbed his arm before his fingers grazed it. 

"Remember what happened the last time someone did that?" he reminded Ron sternly. Ron glared at him but dropped his arms. Ginny meanwhile had gotten up (wincing at the tightness of the leather she was still wearing) and walked up behind Harry and Ron.

"Where did she go?" she piped up, making them jump. Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"We dunno Ginny, go away." Ginny crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at his back, making Harry smile slightly, before huffily trudging over to a seat and flopping down. Ron looked resolutely at the mirror and then at Harry. Harry's eyes widened.

"I know that look…don't do it Ron!" he pleaded, looking at Ron's determined face. Ron shook his head.

"Something might have gotten her- I'm going in. Don't try and come in after me, I can take care of myself. Be back soon!" Ron winked at him before looking back at the mirror with confident eyes. Harry looked on helplessly as his best friend took a deep breath and placed his hand gingerly on the mirror. It took no hesitation in sucking it in like it had Hermione's finger, and in an instant he was gone too. 

Behind Harry, Ginny sharply inhaled. "Oh my God." Harry turned around and tried his best to grin casually at her, the creases of his eyes folding as he did so. Ginny felt the familiar tug at her stomach as he sat down next to her and then, in a brotherly fashion, patted her knee reassuringly. 

"They'll be back; Hermione's far from stupid, and Ron's got a good head on his shoulders," Harry said, reminding Ginny of her second year Defense teacher, Professor Lupin. 

"What do you think's back there?" Ginny asked, drawing her knees to her chest and hugging them tightly. Harry shrugged.

"No idea. Hopefully nothing bad, eh?" Their conversation tapered off into silence as they thought in unison:

__

Fuck.

--

"ARGHHHH PONIES!!" Draco woke up in a panic, breathing heavily and grabbing onto the grass beneath him for dear life. "Bloody…cotton candy…I hate clowns…" Shuddering, he straightened himself up and shook the carnival nightmare out of his head. He looked around him slowly, taking the scenery in: no roller coasters. He breathed a sigh of relief and hopped up, brushing himself off. Pansy was nowhere to be seen; in fact, except for the train carriage sitting annoyingly superior in front of him there was no sign of life at all. "Odd…" Draco mused, walking towards the carriage and without thinking, opened the door. 

Harry and Ginny looked up quickly at the sound of the opening door. When Ginny saw who it was she immediately went pale and decided that the grass outside really was very interesting after all. Harry's face remained blank. Draco narrowed his eyes in intense dislike of the two in front of him and threw himself on a seat rebelliously. "Where are they?" he asked sullenly. 

"Sorry, where are who?" Harry replied woodenly. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Two thirds of the Golden Three. The Duo in the Trio. Your _chums_," he added icily, drumming his fingers on the windowsill. Exhausted from the silence, Ginny was grateful for the sound; she didn't move her head. 

"Oh. They umm…got distracted," Harry said, almost laughing at the incredulous look on the other boy's face.

"Did they finally get a room then?" Draco asked in confusion. Harry nodded his head toward the mirror and didn't say anything. Draco frowned and got up, examining the mirror as he got closer. He only stopped when his nose was two inches away from the mirror, making Ginny (who was watching out of the corner of her eye) want to jerk him further away from the dangerous object. Instead, she remained quiet as he pondered. Suddenly he drew himself back, a look of alarm plastered on his face. "That's a Dark Arts object." 

When she heard this, Ginny squealed and fell off the seat as Harry rose immediately to walk over next to Draco. "How do you know?" he asked simply. Draco snorted.

"Greasy haired bloke…Knockturn Alley, he has a shop there. 'Borgin and Burkes' if I remember correctly, my father brought me there all the time-" Harry winced in the memory of the hiding in the musty cupboard as Draco and Lucius talked with the shopkeeper. "I saw this in his shop. Why is it here?"

"Ron and Hermione are in a Dark Arts object?" Harry asked disbelievingly. Draco nodded, not quite able to hide his smugness at the fact.

"Yup. Sucks to be them." Ginny, now on the floor, bit her lip hard. 

"Will they ever come out?" she asked timidly. 

Draco didn't turn to look at her when he answered a good thirty seconds later. "If we know how to get them out they will."

A loud door slam and the clacking of high heels interrupted their trains of thought. All three heads swiveled 'round to look at Pansy, who was looking positively murderous, and the gaze was aimed straight at Draco. "I'll teach you to insult me! 'Pathetic girl' my ass, you'll forget you ever _imagined _I was pathetic by the time Im through with you-" ranted the girl. 

Harry and Ginny looked at her in amazement as Draco caught her flailing arm and hissed, "What did your father tell you about Dark mirrors Pans?" Pansy stopped, completely thrown. 

"Umm…why?" she asked suspiciously. Draco raised an eyebrow, mainly at himself.

"Dunno why I care really- you know what, I don't. Ask Potter." Draco turned her around to face Harry and sat back down again moodily, glaring at the mirror that hung so innocently on the wall. Pansy looked at Harry with disdain all over her face.

"What the hell do _you _want from _me?_" she asked, hands on her hips. 

"Do you know anything about Dark mirrors? At all?" Pansy shrugged, a little coy smile placed on her lips. 

"A little."

"Turn around." Pansy did so, and was faced with the mirror. She cocked an eyebrow in interest, reaching over to scrutinize it further-

"Don't touch it," Harry said quickly, grabbing her hand. He let it go as soon as she glared at him for it, and looked back at the mirror again in a slightly less confident voice. "Ron and Hermione did an now they're in there." Pansy's eyes widened. 

"Oh Lord," she muttered running a hand through her hair, Draco temporarily forgotten. "Well this won't be easy. But I can do it," she added confidently, looking closely at it. "My father's an expert on Dark Arts artifacts you see," she started explaining to Ginny and Harry. "Ever since I was little…he'd show me all his stuff. I think I remember this, from way back…or something like it." Harry grinned wide, ecstatic; his friends weren't lost!

"Then you'd better hurry up," Ginny's small voice interrupted. "'Cause it looks like this mirror likes the company." The four looked back at the mirror, and were instantly horrorstruck.

Little purple veins were making their way all over the mirror's face, were tendrils of brown and red hair interlocking between them. 

--

Ron landed in a large, empty valley. The overwhelming gray and fog was too much to take in after being teleported from Norfolk, England. He squinted his eyes for a sight of Hermione: nothing. "Hermione!" he yelled into the silence. Still nothing. 

His heart leapt when he saw a flash of dark brown hair up ahead. He whooped and started running towards it, and then stopped in horror. Hermione floated two feet above the ground, her brown hair stringy and disheveled around her bony shoulders as her white eyes bored into Ron's blue ones. Ron backed away slowly, not able to take his eyes off of the ghostly specter in front of him. Then, as she spoke, every hair on the nape of his neck prickled with horror and disgust:

"You don't belong here."


	13. So Wrong

**A/N: **First off**- 100 REVIEWS!!!! :D **anyway,okay, I know that the last chapter was 'creepy' (the most popular phrase), but it was necessary, I swear! I promise that, although the Ron/Hermione scenes will most definitely be creepier than it has been, our friends in the train carriage (aka Harry, Ginny, Draco, Pansy) will be more along the lines of what it has been like before.  Humorous (hopefully…), light, etc. enjoy! This chapter is not my best, but it's not bad. Please review. :)

--PREVIOUSLY--

_"Well this won't be easy. But I can do it," [Pansy] added confidently, looking closely at it…_

_"Then you'd better hurry up," Ginny's small voice interrupted. "'Cause it looks like this mirror likes the company."_

_Ron backed away slowly, not able to take his eyes off of the ghostly specter in front of him. Then, as she spoke, every hair on the nape of his neck prickled with horror and disgust: "You don't belong here."_

--

        "Okay, okay, no one panic!" Pansy mumbled frantically as they looked at the mirror, wringing her hands out and pacing back and forth.  Draco made a face.

        "You're making me seasick," he said shortly.  She stopped, and rather than flash him the customary glare she sighed apologetically.

        "Sorry…this is just…really bad."  

        "Thank you Pansy," Draco said sarcastically, "what a _brilliant assessment of the position!" _

        "Whatever."  Pansy waved the comment away hastily, plopping down next to Harry.  He looked at her in concern.

        "What are we going to do?" he asked quietly.  She looked up.

        "Well, I was thinking sleep," Pansy replied leaning back.  Ginny got up furiously; time to make her presence known once again.

        "Sleep?!? How can you be thinking of sleep at a time like this? My brother and one of my best friends is stuck in a mirror and you want to sleep?!?" she shrieked.  Draco winced at the high pitch.

        "Bloody hell Weasley," he muttered, putting a hand over his ear.

        "This isn't the first time I haven't agreed with you about an idea of yours, and remember how that one ended up?" Ginny finished angrily, brushing a stray piece of wispy hair out of her face.  Pansy leapt up, narrowing her eyes at the girl who was previously somewhat her ally.

        "We'll never get them out if we fall asleep in the middle of a difficult spell!" Pansy roared in reply.  This time, both Harry and Draco groaned and held their breath apprehensively for Ginny to respond.  Her expression was twisting into an incredibly unattractive face of fury.  

        "Then get some caffeine or something, I don't care! I want them out of that mirror and the sooner you do it the sooner I shut up!" Ginny yelled hoarsely, her voice evidently wearing out.  

        "So tempting…" Draco moaned in the corner.  Pansy and Ginny turned to him simultaneously.  

        "Shut up!"

        "Okay, well, I think it's obvious we need to figure something out," Harry cut in quickly, jumping to his feet as well.  The two girls looked at him sullenly.  "Right," Harry began nervously.  "Umm…Pansy, you and I will work on a way to get them out.  Ginny, Malfoy…sit tight."  Both the redhead and the blond's jaws dropped as Pansy smirked widely.  

        "Are you joking?" Ginny asked incredulously.  "Did you not just hear my rant??" 

        "Obviously still deaf to your blithering Weasley," Draco sniggered, immensely enjoying the fact that a deep crimson was creeping up his new foe's neck.  

        "Wish I could say the same for you," she shot back, surprising them all.  "_You seem to enjoy my 'blithering' as you so poetically put it."  _

        "Don't flatter yourself- your speech bores me to no end.  Just be grateful I even _considered touching you," he spat venomously.  Harry narrowed his eyes at Draco, but instead of replying furiously with a Burning Curse like he wanted to he grabbed Ginny and jerked her to the side abruptly.  She squealed in surprise and turned to face him._

        "Whaat?" Ginny asked in annoyance, sounding very much like the little bratty sister.

        "You've got to stop doing this Gin," Harry whispered urgently, all too aware that both Slytherins were craning their necks and ears to hear their conversation.  

        "Why not?" Ginny asked, sulking with her arms crossed in front of her.  

        Harry raised an eyebrow.  "You want Ron and Hermione back?" he asked simply.  Ginny bit her lip, sighed and nodded.  "Thank you.  Now, please, I need to work with Pansy to get them out- seems like she knows what she's talking about.  I don't really need Malfoy in our hair as we do so, and I really hate to ask this but-"

        Ginny interrupted him.  "I get it Harry."

        Smiling up at him warmly, and without any hesitation, she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped him in a hug- a sisterly hug.  As she grinned into his shoulder and he, in surprise, patted her awkwardly on the back, she knew that it was set.  She was Harry Potter's Sister-He-Never-Had.  And incest is one of those things wizards and Muggles agree on; it's kinda gross.

--

        Ron gawked at the floaty Hermione before him, who was eerie in a way that he couldn't understand.  "What're you playing at?" he asked shakily, subconsciously inching away.  The Hermione glared at him.  

        "Get out."

        He looked at the apparition in shock; it looked like Hermione, and it spoke like Hermione, but something was telling him to run, and to do it fast.  He was just about to turn around and scream bloody murder when a hand clamped over his mouth.  His eyes widened in fright.

        "Shut up Ron, just shut up and let me handle this."  Ron almost fainted from pure relief when he recognized the bossy voice of his friend- Hermione??

        She let go of his mouth and he stood up carefully, wiping it off almost as an instinct.  The Hermione standing on the ground in front of him rolled her eyes and turned to the ghostly Hermione.  "Push off you little trollop, I'm here now."  The floating Hermione took in a rattly breath, looked at them both- and exploded into a thousand tiny blue wisps of nothing.  Ron gaped and cautiously put out a hand, wiping it through it experimentally.

        "What just happened Hermione?" he asked in awe, putting his hand back at his side.  Hermione didn't answer, but came to stand next to him with her arms folded in irritation.

        "Will you look at that?  Didn't even have the consideration to clean up her leftovers!" she said irritably. Ron's jaw dropped in disbelief.

        "Please tell me you're joking," he pleaded, turning to look at her.  Hermione bit her lip and promptly burst out laughing.  Ron scowled.  "This is hardly the time for chuckling Hermione," he reprimanded, making it sound as if the two had switched personalities all of a sudden.  She gasped and straightened up, still giggling slightly.

        "Sorry Ron, I just- gosh this is a big place isn't it?" she said suddenly, looking around.  Ron raised an eyebrow at her.

        "What does that have to do with the price of mead in Iceland?" he asked. 

        "I mean, _really_ big!" Hermione continued, looking around in wonderment and spreading her arms wide at her sides, acting as if he hadn't said anything at all.  "I reckon you could fit at least _five Hogwarts into here!"_

        "Hermione, what are you-"  To Ron's astonishment, Hermione suddenly let out a long chain of giggles, spinning round in a circle and looking up at the non-existent sky.  "Okay, you're seriously freaking me out here…"

        "Ron?!?"  He spun around quickly, heart beating uncharacteristically fast from the shock.  

        "Who is it?" he squinted into the mist, trying hard to ignore the shrieks of laughter from the giddy brunette behind him.  

        "It's me for God's sakes!" The last person Ron expected to ever emerge from the mist did- Hermione?

        Ron fainted.

--

        Draco Malfoy was feeling a little better about himself.  Not only had he gotten back in the swing of things, he had successfully insulted the Weasel and gotten the blush that made him so satisfied.  It meant he won.  He smirked and leaned back as he lazily watched Potter try to calm her down.  Pansy tapped her nails on a wood beam impatiently next to him before sitting down abruptly.  

        "Looks like a cozy get-together, eh?" she said dryly, kicking the floor of the compartment with a dull leather boot.  Draco shrugged.

        "Not really.  Look, she's getting all annoyed," he pointed out as Ginny crossed her arms in front of herself sullenly. 

        "Hmmm good point," Pansy conceded, leaning back like he did before.  "But hey now- what's this?" she said slyly when she saw Ginny swiftly hug Harry.  "Guess I was right," she smirked.  

        "For once," Draco said smoothly, putting his hands behind his head comfortably and ignoring the urge the slam the black haired boy's head through a window.  Pansy laughed quietly, surprising Draco slightly.

        "Still got it for her don't you?" she remarked casually, with the air of one discussing their day at school.  Draco blinked, but didn't say anything.  "Fine, fine, don't tell me- but it's _so obvious."          _

        Before Draco really realized what he was saying, he replied "She's different than her idiot brother."  Pansy's face broke into a huge, semi-malicious grin.  

        "Well yeah.  What did you think, all Weasleys are alike?" she sniggered, tucking her leg under herself and getting more comfortable.  

        "Actually, yes," Draco said.  _I've already made a fool out of myself; no use holding back now.  _"I thought they were all lower class rodents who needed a good wash, proper clothes and a couple Galleons to rub together to keep warm in the winter."  Pansy gave him a disbelieving look with her eyebrows.  "What?? I'm serious!"  

        "Come off it- do you actually expect me to believe that that's _your_ thought and not your parents'?" Pansy asked, scoffing.  Draco opened his mouth to reply, shut it, and scowled darkly at the floor.  "That's what I thought," she crowed triumphantly, and was just about to say something else when Harry and Ginny returned to them.  Harry, Pansy noted, looked relieved, while Ginny was looking much calmer…at a peace of some kind.  She gave her a questioning look, but Ginny didn't seem to notice.

        "Okay…Gin and I have decided that the earlier plan was the best.  Pansy, you-" Harry began.

        "Since when are you King of the Carriage?" Draco interrupted haughtily in protest.  "I mean, no offense Potty, but me and Park- _Pansy_," Pansy let a small smile perk up her lips, "know much more about Dark Objects than Gryffindor house combined!"  

        "You're probably right," Harry agreed, to his own and his companions' surprise, "but somehow I don't think putting _you with Pansy will get _our_ friends out any faster…since when do you care about them?"  Draco shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets._

        "Well I'm bored," he said, looking very much like he was with his dull gaze and slouching position.  "I have nothing better to do."

        "I'm going to work with Pansy on this mirror," Harry explained, ignoring Draco.  "I've put Gin on Malfoy Duty, but I don't want to have to administer any sort of bandage to either of you by the end of this, ok?"  Draco grunted in reply while Ginny chose to breathe in deeply rather than shriek in protest like before.  "Good.  All right, let's get cracking."

        Pansy got up from her seat, smirked at Draco and Ginny, and walked over to Harry who was standing near the mirror curiously.  Ginny sighed and sat down in the middle of the floor, facing Draco and hugging her knees slightly.  He raised an eyebrow.

        "I'm not going to just sit here," he informed her.  Ginny didn't look up.

        "I know."

        This annoyed Draco.  "How?  How did you know?" he asked in annoyance.  She rolled her eyes, unseen to him.

        "Remember the bugs?"  Draco nodded; how could he forget that squirming…writhing…gargantuan mass of- "anyway, you wouldn't let Harry go out by himself to take all the glory. So you beat him to it.  Couldn't keep your bloody hands still," she mumbled to herself.  Draco kept the eyebrow up.

        "How did you know it was me who drove them away?" he asked her.  Ginny shrugged.

        "Harry looked as scared as you on your first Quidditch match," was the simple reply.  Draco narrowed his eyes, ran two hands through his hair in aggravation and sighed, leaning his head back on the window and closing his eyes.

        "You are maddening, you know that?" he muttered into his hands. Ginny grinned impishly at the weary boy.

        "I know."    

        Meanwhile, Harry and Pansy were having difficulty with the mirror.  "For Merlin's sakes Potter, don't go near the bloody thing!  Stay at _least two feet away," Pansy was hissing at him.  _

        "I am! See?  Two feet," Harry said irritably, pointing down at his feet.  Pansy grunted in disapproval but didn't say anything else on the matter, and chose instead to pace in front of the object.  

        "So you touch it, and you're sucked into it…doesn't matter how long or how much…just one touch, for a split second…" she looked at Harry.  "Am I getting this right?"  Harry nodded.  "And now Weasley and Granger's hair is all…intertwiney, and that probably means something…" she looked up suddenly.  "Oh!  Oh okay- it means they've met.  Wherever they are, they've met."

        "Are you sure?" Harry asked urgently, looking at the glassy reflector.  "I mean, it looks more…"

        "Violent?  Yeah I know.  But I'm almost positive I heard my dad say something about this.  I forget what it's called, but I can almost certainly say that they've met.  So they're together- 2 against whatever's there is better than 1 right?" she asked the question to no one in particular, so Harry didn't really find that he needed to answer it.  

        "Well, Ron's certainly in good hands.  Can't exactly say the same for Hermione," Harry joked, grinning slightly.  Pansy frowned.

        "He went after her; she's in the best hands she can get Potter," she said quietly, sitting down.  Harry leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees thoughtfully.

        "Yeah…you know what?" he said, turning to his partner in solving the Mirror Mystery. 

        "What?" Pansy asked wearily.  

        "I reckon Ron fancies Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, as if he had just discovered penicillin.  The carriage went silent, and Harry soon found himself with three wads of rolled up parchment thrown at him in exasperation.

        "Very good!" the three sarcastic voices said together.  Harry's eyes widened and he squeaked as he ducked the flying papers.

--

        "Ron…Ron…oh come on, WAKE UP already!" Ron came to abruptly with a crisp 'SMACK' on the cheek.  He sprang up clutching his cheek, face screwed up in aggravation.  

        "Oh thanks a lot, I really needed th-" he stopped short at the familiar face.  "Okay, tell me what's going on now or I may just faint again."  Hermione scowled and sat down next to him, but was unable to keep the small elated grin off of her face now that he was conscious.  

        "Can't blame you for being confused really.  I was too…especially when I saw Malfoy prancing about throwing posies in the air from his basket.  Kind of like a flower girl gone very wrong indeed."  She looked down at him and attempted a grin, but all the response she got was a dark look.  Hermione nervously took a lock of hair from behind her ear and began to chew on it as he spoke.

        "Look, I don't know what's going on or who you are, but I need to find my friend," Ron said slowly, as if talking to someone very stupid.  Hermione dropped the hair from her mouth in surprise.

        "I AM your friend!" she said in protest, but Ron barreled on.

        "…and if I don't find her soon, something might get her and then it'd be very, very bad," Ron was saying, getting faster with his growing anxiety.  Hermione opened her mouth to speak- then closed it again.  If Ron was going to think she wasn't her…she could get something interesting out of this…

        "Why?  I- she's just a know it all bookworm after all," Hermione replied slyly, resting on her knees.  

        "She's my best friend!" Ron said angrily, getting up and looking down at her.  "And- hold on a minute.  Hermione?"  he said weakly in disbelief at the girl below him.  Hermione raised an eyebrow. 

        "Yes?" 

        "Oh bugger," Ron mumbled, sitting down again.  "Why didn't you stop me?" he asked, struggling to wash his face of red.

        Hermione shrugged.  "I did.  But you wouldn't listen, would you?" she countered.  

        "So what is this place?" Ron interrupted, abruptly changing the subject.  "Who were those- those Hermiones?" 

        "I'm not sure, but from what I've gathered by being here they were basically…well, other versions of me if that makes any sense," Hermione offered.

        "It doesn't," Ron said flatly.  

        "Okay.  Well," she said, trying to grasp an explanation.  "For example, the creepy ghost Hermione?  She was the dead version of me…or something.  And the other girl was basically a very giddy me.  I reckon there are a thousand of me here, at least."  Ron nodded slowly, trying to digest this.

        "Have you- have you seen any of me yet?" he asked, all too aware of how ridiculous that sounded.  Hermione bit back her laughter.

        "You may want to brace yourself, but yes," she said.  Ron's jaw dropped.

        "Well?" he asked impatiently.  "What was it like?"  

        "He-"

        "What's this?  Getting cozy with the Muggle chick? _Niiice._"  Ron's head snapped up as Hermione started laughing loudly behind him.  There, standing in front of him, was a leather clad red haired boy, the trademark wisps gelled down heavily and hands thrust rebelliously into his biking jacket.  

        "What the bloody hell?!?" Ron roared, leaping up and looking this newcomer over.  "Who the fu- oh my God."  The boy removed his sunglasses and Hermione doubled up as Ron recognized his own blue eyes.  

        "She's definitely worth a once over," the Ron was saying, "I always thought so.  You know, in first year, when I saved her?  Single handedly if you're interested," he added with a smirk that made Ron think of Malfoy, "I knew she'd grow into something.  So you're finally taking the initiative?  Good on you mate!"  He clapped Ron on the shoulder heartily, but Ron threw the hand off of him in disgust.

        "Will you look at this?  This prat's being me!" Ron said in disbelief to Hermione, whose face had gone quite rosy from all the compliments from Biker Ron.  

        "He _is_ you," she said simply.  Ron scowled as the other one chuckled and sped off on its ghostly motorbike.  

        "How fast can we get away from this place?" he said angrily as he plopped back down next to Hermione.  She sighed and leaned back on her elbows.

        "Whenever they figure out how to take us out," she said.  Ron groaned and leaned onto his back, looking up at the fog encrusted sky.

        "We'll be in here forever!"

--

        "So, how's the Whirlpool of Doom going?" Draco drawled sarcastically, looking up from the (incredibly boring) Exploding Snap game he was playing with Ginny. 

        Harry's head didn't move as he answered.  "Shut up Malfoy."

        "But _seriously,_" Draco continued, dropping his cards in exasperation on the pile.  "How long does it bloody take to get a mirror to spit out a couple people?"

        "Like the boy said Draco: shut up!" Pansy said through clenched teeth, looking up briefly from the book she and Harry were poring over.  

        "It is taking a rather long time," Ginny said sighing, throwing down her cards as well.  "Isn't there anything we can do?" Harry stopped reading for a moment before shaking his head briefly.

        "No."

        Ginny's eyes narrowed.  "You're telling me that this is how you plan to get them out?  Read a book?" Harry didn't answer.  This made Ginny increasingly indignant.  "Honestly!  This is ridiculous.  I'm going out for a breather."  To everyone's astonishment, Ginny pushed herself up off the floor and strode out, kicking off Pansy's boot as she did and leaving them inside.  

        "_Great_," Draco commented dully.  "Now I'm stuck in here with Potter, Parkinson, and two shoes whose smell rivals the Slytherin locker room."

--


	14. Sincerely, Red

To everyone who ever read and supported this fic-

        I've been increasingly busy what with being a sophomore in high school instead of a freshman. You'd think the jump wouldn't be so bad, but I'm having to devote more and more time to school rather than…well, anything I find enjoyable.  That's why updates have been slow, maybe even non-existent, and I really am sorry for that.

        I hate to do this as a chapter update, because I probably raised a lot of your hopes.  This isn't a new chapter; there won't _be_ a new chapter.  I started to write this in November, maybe even October of last year, and I'll freely admit that I had no idea of where it would take me.  My biggest flaw in writing (besides for grammar of course) is not having a plotline.  The result?  A tired and pretty dull story that I'm very unhappy with.  The only parts that I can definitely say I'm proud of is the dialogue between the characters, and the character development of Pansy.  Other than that, I can't say I can stomach finishing it.  If I do, it will be horrible and completely unfair for those who stuck by me with it for all this time.  It would be a sincere letdown, and I can't do that to you guys.

        I did re-read this to see if there was any possible way to keep going with it, but I honestly think I dug myself into a big clichéd hole. So, with many MANY apologies, I'm going to stop writing this fic.  If you read any of my others, I will be writing an announcement for them too, and they're different depending on which one it is.  Also, if anyone feels like they want to continue this in my place or something, say so in your review with your e-mail address and I'll get back to you. 

        Please don't try to convince me otherwise, because my mind's made up. Again, I'm so sorry for those who enjoyed this, and I want to thank you for all the support you've given me.  Your reviews have been a light spot in the hell my last year was.

-Enter the Red Age


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